Undertow2 Volume 1: Uncharted Waters
by slyn11
Summary: The drama continues in the sequel to Undertow1. Philip's back and everything changes. Pairings: Phloe, Phelanie, with hints of Mel/Chad, Broe and Danloe. Sonny is Melanie's best friend - Characters: Sonny, Brady, Nicole, Chad, Victor, Maggie, Daniel, Stephanie, Kate, Lucas, Bo - Thanks for reading!
1. Chapter 1

**This is the second "book" in my Undertow series, featuring Philip, Melanie, Chloe, Sonny, Brady, Nicole, Daniel and many more. The drama continues. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.**

Chapter 1

She had been placed in a room by herself. Two twin sized beds against opposite walls, two dressers, and one bedside table between them. The walls were white, which at first Chloe thought was an improvement over the yellow at Salem University hospital, until she spent a few hours staring at them. White walls were just as bad, blank, sterile, nothingness. She found herself searching for cracks in the paint, just to have something of interest to focus on, anything to keep from retreating inside her head. Her mind was feeling like a scary place since she had arrived at the Midwest Psychiatric Hospital seven days earlier.

The fears about further losing her sanity, trapped in a place filled with unstable minds, were pushing at the back of her brain. Chloe worked feverishly to ignore them. She didn't want to succumb to the thoughts, the realization that she hadn't been sent there as punishment by Victor, but she had to be sent there because she deserved to be locked away. She didn't want to admit that maybe she really was crazy.

Right behind those thoughts about her sanity was Parker. His sweet face lurked in the fringes of her mind. The last time she held him was starting to slip away. She was starting to forget whether his blond hair had a hint of a curl or if he held his left fist or right fist up to his mouth as he slept. And his smile, with dimples like his father's, how long would it be before she forgot that as well? She was facing years in this place. She wouldn't even recognize her own son when she was released.

Then there was Philip. Chloe could still feel his hand gently squeezing hers in his hospital room. It was the most vivid thing in her mind, as clear as if it just happened a few moments before. Thoughts of him wouldn't stay put, they filled her head like a flickering lamp. He wouldn't give her peace. He wouldn't let her go. If she had believed in the supernatural, she almost could believe that Philip was trying to communicate with her somehow, all the way from his bed in Salem. The way he invaded her mind, an ever present resident, his face just as it had been when she last saw him, quiet and still. But this time his eyes were open and he was watching her, but saying nothing, just watching. And every now and then Chloe would feel a squeeze. It was all in her head of course, but it felt so real, as if Philip were holding her hand through all of this. That crazy notion was the sole reason Chloe hadn't lost it. For the first time in what seemed like so long, Chloe didn't feel completely alone.

"Nicole, I can't believe you did this?" Chloe smiled at her friend in disbelief.

Nicole was sitting across from her, at the visiting room table, in a black wig, tortoise shell glasses, and a gray suit. Nicole had somehow managed to snag the ID and credentials of a Dr. Morgan Walker. Chloe had been surprised to find out that Brady was the one that had helped her pull the whole ruse off. He was usually opposed to such obvious bouts of deceptions.

"It was the only way I could get in to see you," Nicole whispered looking around for eavesdroppers. They were pretty much alone in the place. The hospital tended to give doctors privacy to consult with their patients.

"Yeah they are so strict here. They told me I can't have visitors for maybe another week. They need to assess my character. Whatever that means."

There were so many rules. They actually were written up and taped on the wall of her room. She was starting to memorize them, she had stared at them so much. The right to have personal effects would have to be earned. Phone privileges one hour a day between seven and eight pm, calls limited to fifteen minutes per patient. All patients must wear white, pre-approved items only. No patient will be allowed to walk though the halls unattended. The list went on and on.

"It means they want to figure out what kind of prisoner you are. If you will go with the flow or cause trouble. You did get sent here for sneaking out of the hospital."

"But it's not like this is prison."

"It kind of is. This is the place they send the criminally insane." She adjusted her wig and straightened her frames on her face.

"You are making me feel so much better, Nicole," said Chloe sarcastically.

"Stop using my name. I'm Dr. Walker remember?"

"So Dr. Walker," said Chloe lowering her voice. "Any news from the hospital?"

"Right duh. That's the reason I am here in the first place. You must be going out of your mind with worry." Nicole took Chloe's hand in hers and squeezed it.

"I just need to know he's all right. Is he really out of the coma?"

It had been a week and she had received no news. Not even Drew had been allowed to see her the first seven days. It all happened in a blur. One minute Philip was grasping her hand, the next Parker was being lifted from her arms, and her hands were being pinned behind her back. Bo had told her he had to get her out of the hospital ASAP. Too much attention was being put on Philip as he came back to consciousness. She had one last look at Parker, and then she was gone.

"Yep the doctors confirmed it. He has been staying alert longer and longer each day. Things are looking good for him," said Nicole with a smile.

"Is he talking yet?" Chloe couldn't help but wonder what his first words would be. She wanted to know what it had been like for him all those months.

"No. Brady says it is going to take time. He has to do all sorts of therapy and rehab. They won't know for sure the extent of the damage until they finish testing and examining him."

"Damage?" asked Chloe in alarm. "Is there something wrong with him?"

"He's been in a coma a long time. His body went through a lot. There might be some permanent changes."

"Like what? Like brain damage?"

She hadn't even considered that Philip could still be in danger. She should have known better than to just think it would be smooth sailing. It never had been for them. Everything was always a struggle. Just once Chloe wished things could be like on TV, where the patient makes a miraculous recovery and is back on his feet in days. Philip beat the odds coming this far. Why couldn't he get a little bit more magic?

"Brady didn't say. All we can do right now is just hope for the best. It's possible that Philip might be perfectly fine."

"I hope so Nicole. Parker really needs his father, while I am stuck in here."

"Well he always has little Miss Sunshine to take care of him." Chloe wasn't sure what Nicole had against Melanie, but she never cut her any slack.

"I know. I just want him with his father."

"I get it. I am kind of shocked that Melanie let you near Parker, and Philip too for that matter. That girl is like a rabid guard dog when it comes to that man. So protective. Half the times I got into see Philip, Brady had to intervene on my behalf, and even then, I swear she wanted to pat me down. As if I would do anything to hurt Philip. She is one crazy chick," said Nicole as she leaned back in her chair.

"She was just scared for him. I can't really imagine what it must be like to be in her shoes. To have to watch someone you love just waste away month and month." She had been starting to feel more for Melanie the past few days. They had found some common ground that day in Philip's room and Chloe was starting to see that Melanie was suffering as much as she was.

"It was hard on all of us. We all love Philip in our own way. Isn't that right?" asked Nicole raising one eyebrow at Chloe. It was as if she were trying to hint at something with her statement.

"Right," said Chloe slowly.

"Still good on you and Parker for sticking it to her. She must have just turned green when Philip responded to you by his bedside." Nicole grinned.

"I think she was just happy he was coming around."

"For now. But in time it's really going to piss her off. You better watch your back Chloe. I think you just added one more strike to your hate column."

Chloe shook her head. "She's really not that bad. I think we've come to an understanding."

"Chloe listen to me, as your older and much wiser friend. Once two women have shared a man they can never be friends."

Chloe eyed Nicole skeptically. "What about us? We both were with Brady."

"That's different," Nicole shrugged. "We duked it out and made our peace."

"Maybe Melanie and I have too."

"You haven't. There's still so much between you. There's Parker, the cheating on her father, not to mention the fact you still want Philip," said Nicole counting out each point on her fingers.

"Wait what?" asked Chloe sitting upright, shocked by Nicole's assertion. "I do not want Philip."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the same woman that told me not so long ago that you had wished you had taken a chance with Philip instead of turning to Lucas?"

"Yeah but I was just daydreaming. Wondering how different things could have been, I wasn't being serious." She had been voicing regrets about her bad choices, not making statements about wanting Philip back. Nicole had it all wrong.

"In my experience, people don't daydream about things they don't want. You could have daydreamed about not breaking up with Brady or about never cheating on Daniel, but you didn't. You were fantasizing about being with Philip."

"It's just because of Parker." Chloe said dismissively. "It is bringing up old feelings."

"Could be. But seems to me those old feelings were there before Parker was even conceived. You and Philip turned to each other for a reason."

"We are close, so we lean on each other. Friends do that."

"How come you didn't turn to Brady that night?" Chloe turned her nose up at the question. It seemed weird to even be thinking about sleeping with Brady.

"Well Philip just stopped by and things happened." It was coincidence, a drunken coincidence that had brought them together that night. They were both suffering the same pain.

"What if Brady had been the one to stop by, do you think things would've happened?"

"How can I even answer that? I don't know."

"Let's try this. Close your eyes and think about Brady."

"Nicole you do know you're not really a doctor right?" she asked raising her eyebrows at Nicole.

"Oh just play along. Close your eyes and think about tall and hot Brady Black."

"Okay." Chloe closed her eyes and let Brady enter her mind.

"What's the first thing that pops into your head?"

"Sweet." She saw Brady standing in front of her smiling, flowers in his hand. He was always so thoughtful.

"Okay good," said Nicole eagerly, getting into her role. "Now think about Philip."

Chloe started to close her eyes, but then stopped, opening them abruptly. "This is stupid. It doesn't even mean anything."

"Just do it," said Nicole.

Chloe sighed heavily, but closed her eyes and thought of Philip.

"What popped into your head?" asked Nicole leaning forward over the table.

"Obviously I'm just happy that he is doing better and out of his coma. That is all this is," said Chloe dismissively.

"Spill it," Nicole urged.

"I pictured him on his knees," Chloe stated.

"Ooo doing what?" Nicole's eyes lit up in anticipation.

"He was begging me to stay."

"Is this some sort of fantasy or…"

"No it is something that happened," interrupted Chloe. "The first time Philip and I ever slept together, after Brady and I got divorced. He got down on his knees and asked me to stay with him at his house."

She could see it all so clearly. Philip on his knees, in black pants, no shirt, her hands in his, smiling at her. She had been feeling like her whole world was ending. She failed with Brady, she had no job, no prospects and Philip had made it all good again. He had this way of lifting her spirits even during her darkest moments.

"Interesting," said Nicole as she watched Chloe intently.

"What?" asked Chloe shifting uneasily in her seat under Nicole's scrutiny.

"I just find it interesting that your mind went there."

"Well we were talking about all that time period just now and sex, and stuff." Chloe glanced away, trying to appear disinterested. "I don't think it is any surprise that I thought about it."

"Yeah but why that particular moment? You didn't flash to the actual sex or even a kiss. You went right for him asking you to be with him."

"So?"

"Me thinks your mind is trying to tell you something," said Nicole with a small smile.

"What? That I want to be with Philip?" Chloe could feel herself turning red. What a ridiculous conclusion Nicole had jumped to. There was no basis in reality for that statement. "That is so crazy and the last thing I need. I just got out of this thing with Daniel. I am in a mental hospital. I don't have custody of my baby. Besides Philip is married."

"True. You do have a lot going on. But at some point you are going to have to allow yourself to face some facts." Nicole took out her phone and toyed with it, obviously feeling like the matter was settled, the mystery solved.

"What facts? I don't want to be in a relationship with Philip Kiriakis." She felt the need to convince Nicole that even jokingly thinking in this way was too absurd to persist. She wanted to nip it in the bud.

"Well maybe not. But you definitely have feelings for him. And that, you are going to have to deal with or else things are going to get a whole lot worse for you. Trust me on that. Harboring denied feelings is like living with a festering wound, it just gets worse and worse until it has spread throughout your entire body."

"Honestly, I think this just has to do with that connection I felt with Philip when he started coming around last week." A smile spread on her face as she thought back to that day. "It was the most amazing experience to have him grab my hand like that. All of us together like a family. It felt almost like destiny or kismet. I don't know. It was just powerful."

"Sounds like a beautiful moment."

"It was. I have never felt anything like that before." Chloe's eyes filled with tears as she pictured the three of their hands all touching. She never realized that something so simple could mean that much to her. But it had. Seeing that visual symbol of all they were to each other, of their connection, may have been one of the most intense moments of her life.

"I wonder what Philip will have to say about it once he can talk again."

"You think he even remembers?" asked Chloe.

"If it was as powerful a moment as you say, how could he not? Something happened between you three that day. Something so huge that it brought him out of a coma. That is life altering stuff. I bet it is all he can think about right now."

If Philip did remember, if he felt it too, what would that mean for all of them? It seemed so unreal, but Chloe couldn't shake the feeling that everything in their lives had just shifted. The future suddenly felt a little more certain. Chloe was starting to feel like she might have a place in this world, something to hold on to, some hope for happiness. And it all came from holding his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three hours. After days of him just being awake for minutes a day, today, Philip was fully back. Melanie had come in that morning expecting to find him once again resting, instead she entered to find Philip staring back at her. He had even eased himself into an upright position. It was simply amazing. She had been watching him closely for the first hour, waiting for him to fade away again as he had been doing all week, but he didn't. He just tracked her with his eyes as she moved around the room. By the second hour, he was following her movements with his head. So Melanie started talking. At hour three she hadn't stopped and Philip was not only watching her as she moved but also reacting to her words, his facial expressions starting to reveal what he could not convey through speech.

Finally her Philip was back and Melanie allowed herself to release the breath she had been holding since he first responded to Chloe a week ago. She knew about cases where patients came out of comas only to slip away again in a matter of hours. Melanie didn't want to get her hopes up only to have them shattered so quickly. She wasn't sure her heart could take another blow. The months had taken their toll, and it was getting harder for Melanie to ignore the fact that all the stress was starting to get to her. If Philip relapsed or left her again, she wasn't sure she would be able to withstand it. All of her reserves felt spent, her optimism had been running on fumes for months.

She pushed open the door with the side of her arm, a plastic shopping bag in her hand. He was sitting in his bed, semi upright, leaning against his pale blue sheets. The royal blue of his pajamas highlighted his eyes, making them seem brighter blue than usual. His hair was in light brown spikes all over his head. She'd have to fix that before he got his hands on a mirror. When he was on his back it didn't look so bad, but now sitting up, Melanie could really see what a hatchet job she had done on his head. He needed a shave as well, a week's worth of growth covered his face. Ever since he arose from his coma their routine had been disrupted. His team of physicians were now ever present, poking and prodding, whispering about defying medical science and even miracles. Philip had definitely surprised them all, when he went from near death to his current state of consciousness. Leave it to Philip to do the unexpected. He never liked being predictable or conventional.

"I know I've been gone longer than ten minutes," she said as she plopped down into the chair beside his bed, placing the plastic shopping bag on the floor by her feet. "But you know it is so easy to get sidetracked in the hospital. People pulling me in all directions, mostly asking about you. You're the talk of the hospital. Did you know that?" she asked pointing at him.

Philip shook his head slowly, as he listened to her from his bed. He ran his hands over the smooth blue and green quilt, reading it like Braille, periodically pausing to examine certain squares with his fingers.

"Well you are. We've been waiting for your big comeback for so long. People are just itching to get in here and see you."

His eyes widened in surprise. Melanie guessed Philip didn't think that anyone would be interested in his recovery. Really he should be used to the attention. The media followed his activities fairly regularly, even before the accident. The news liked to report about attractive rich playboys. The Kiriakis' were like the Hiltons of Salem.

"Don't worry I didn't tell anyone you were so alert today," she said reassuring him. "They all think you're still Mr. Sleepyhead. So you got a little bit of a reprieve. Feel free to thank me. I accept tips."

Philip gave her thumbs up, seeming pleased with her choice not to let the world know about his new level of alertness.

Melanie flashed him a grin as she took her red hair out of the loose ponytail she had pulled it into hours before. She momentarily worried about how unattractive she must look to him. Pink scrubs, messy hair, no makeup but she quickly let those worries pass, when she looked over and saw Philip smiling at her. Melanie's stomach did a little flip when she saw his dimples emerge. Philip was back, nothing else mattered.

"I can't get over you smiling like that. I was starting to think I would never see those dimples again." Philip looked down at his lap, his cheeks reddening slightly. "Sorry I keep staring. It's just so good to see you moving around. I want to like jump on you and squeeze you or something," she giggled excitedly.

Philip drew back a little, looking a bit worried that she might really pounce on him. He held up his hands slightly in defense.

"Don't look so scared. I'm not actually going to do it," she laughed. Philip relaxed into his former position.

"The doctors made it very clear not to expose you to any excess stimulation until they are done with their tests. I think they're trying to figure out if you're in any pain or have any injuries or something." She focused on him, a thought just occurring to her. "Are you in any pain? I guess I should've asked you that first off, but you were only staying up minutes at a time. This is the first chance I am really getting to talk to you. Well really it's just me talking, and you just looking at me like I'm nuts." She leaned forward in the chair, her hands moving dramatically as she talked. "Am I driving you nuts? I know I keep talking. I tend to ramble around quiet people. You know I feel this need to fill up the space with my voice or something. So I keep going on and on," she chuckled nervously.

Placing his palm on his cheek, Philip continued to watch her, a slight smile on his lips.

"What? You think I'm talking too much don't you?"

He cocked his head to the side, as if he were thinking about her question. Then he held up his hand, bringing his fingers to his thumb, forming the shape of a beak of a bird, opening and closing his fingers slowly to mimic Melanie's talking.

Melanie put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Is that supposed to be my mouth? How rude Mr. Kiriakis. Here I am trying to keep you entertained, and you're making fun of me."

He grinned at her widely, making the talking motion with his hand again.

Melanie tried to keep up her mock anger, but his smile was infectious. She found herself laughing at Philip's teasing. It felt good to laugh, especially with him. So many things she had taken for granted, things everyone takes for granted really. She never thought she would have to appreciate every smile, or every laugh, until they were all gone. Nothing was worse than seeing Philip devoid of all emotion for months.

"I guess I don't have to ask if you understand what I'm saying. You seem to get it just fine. Well enough to mock me even. But what a sucky nurse I am, I didn't ask you about pain. Ugh I forgot again. Ok, Philip, are you in any pain?"

He shook his head.

Melanie couldn't help but wonder what Philip was thinking. He hadn't even tried to speak since he woke up. The doctors assured her this was normal, his vocal cords were weak from lack of use. The other possibility was that Philip could be suffering from some issues getting his brain to control his body. It required more tests according to his doctors. So she hadn't pushed Philip to try to speak. She figured he would if he could, but she did worry if this were an indication of a larger problem, perhaps brain damage. Melanie pushed that thought from her head, refusing to focus on negatives when so much good had just happened.

"Next question do you understand the words I am saying to you?"

Philip shot her a look, arching his eyebrow at her question.

Melanie groaned inwardly at her stupidity. "Of course you understand. Melanie, stop acting like an idiot. See I'm not usually this spacey. I actually graduated first in my class, well will graduate. I technically haven't gotten my degree yet. Well I earned it, all finished, but I haven't gone to the actual graduation ceremony yet. Not that the ceremony actually means anything. It is just to make the parents proud right? My dad is insisting I walk at graduation, even though I have been done for months. I guess he doesn't want to miss out on the photo op."

Philip shifted in his bed, so he was leaning slightly on his side, facing her. He rested his chin on his hand and continued to watch Melanie as she talked.

"I'm doing it again aren't? I wish you could just tell me to shut up or something. I guess you will be able to soon. The speech therapists will be working with you, now that you seem to be fully alert. But until then I guess you are my captive audience."

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Philip nestled down into his pillow, placing both his hands under his head.

"Don't look so disappointed. I have many interesting things to say. You won't be bored trust me. And bonus. You actually understand what I'm saying. You could have woken up like this one lady I read about in class. She came out of her coma and swore she had been living in the Philippines, she even only understood their language. Here's the crazy part, she had never been to the Philippines in her life. She was a claims adjuster from Iowa. She never even knew any other language besides English before she got sick. The brain is one wacky organ, let me tell you."

He shot her a skeptical look.

"You think I made that up?"

He gave his head one affirmative nod.

"I didn't. True story. Do you want to hear another story or would you rather I stop talking? I can you know, stop talking. It might take some duct tape, but it is possible."

He laughed soundlessly, his eyes transforming into slits as his large smile overtook his face.

"Sometimes sucking on a lollipop works too. Gives me something else to focus on. But I don't want to eat candy in front of you since you can't have any yet. That would just be rude. I always hated when parents did that to their kids. You know ate things their kids couldn't have right in front of them. Just so mean."

He stared over at her, just shaking his head at her words.

"I can go. Maybe leave you alone for a bit," she said rising from her seat. "I can put in a DVD. The doctors said no TV yet, but there are few approved DVDs here." She rustled through the pile of DVDs on the shelf under the wall mounted television. "One might be something about the Amazon River. I don't know why the hospital thinks nature shows are low stimulation. I mean I personally can't stand to watch lions chase down those poor gazelles and have them for lunch. I am always rooting for the gazelle to get away." Melanie noticed that his eyes were closed. "Do you want to sleep or something?"

Philip quickly opened his eyes and shook his head, straightening up his posture to appear more alert.

"Ok I am going to go then. Should I put on the DVD?" she asked as she offered him the remote to the dvr player.

Philip pushed her hand away, shaking his head to indicate he didn't want it. He leaned forward slightly and pointed to the bag on the floor.

"What are you pointing to?" asked Melanie looking around the area. "Oh I almost forgot. This is why I left in the first place." She picked up the plastic shopping bag and peered inside it. "I swear I would forget my head if it weren't attached. Actually that's not true I am pretty organized about stuff, just sometimes my mind starts racing and flitting about and I get all off track. So yeah I totally got caught up in the Philippines and forgot all about your surprise."

Philip eyed her curiously as she pulled out a bright red Speak & Spell with yellow buttons from the bag.

"Don't look at me like that. It was either this or the Ouija board Darcy from the fifth floor had in her locker."

Philip raised an eyebrow at her.

"No I didn't ask why she had a Ouija board at work, but then again she is assistant to one of the meanest doctors in oncology, so maybe she needed some reinforcements to deal with him. To each their own. You know what I'm saying?"

He put his hand on his forehead, rolling his eyes and shaking his head.

"So we just need to figure out how to use this thing." Melanie flipped the toy over in her hands looking for a power button. "I think you can type some words on it and talk to me. I'm sure they have some high tech stuff to use somewhere in this place, but we are trying to keep a low profile today. I'm not ready to share you just yet. Once they find out you are so alert, the doctors will be all over you. I'm being selfish but I thought it would be nice to have one afternoon alone with my favorite patient."

Philip tilted his head and gave her a small smile.

"I can go get the doctors though if you want."

Philip shook his head taking the Speak & Spell from her hands. He turned it on, a boyish smile lighting up his face.

"I guess you know how to work it then. Had one as a kid?"

He nodded, still playing with it. The toy asked him to spell the word "chair" in its digitally synthesized voice.

"I never had one of these before," she explained sitting back down in the chair, watching him play.

"Maybe they weren't popular when I was a kid? Or more likely Trent didn't give a damn to buy me educational toys."

He looked up at her words, his eyes narrowing.

"Sorry. Childhood stuff, always gets to me. You know. So, should we try this out?"

"Yes," he typed, holding it up to show her.

"How did you get it not to talk that time?"

He pointed to the volume settings and showed her how he switched it to mute.

"Cool. So what should we talk about?" she asked inching forward in her chair. Finally she was going to be able to really communicate with him.

Philip paused for a moment in thought, and then he started typing. He tilted the Speak & Spell toward Melanie so she could see that he had written the word "crash".

"The crash, you don't play around do you? I thought we would start with something easy like the day of the week. I really am not supposed to talk to you about the accident. The doctors don't want me jarring you. Can't we just be happy everyone survived and leave it at that?" she asked uneasily.

With an audible sigh and a slump of his shoulders, Philip reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"Can I try?"

He clutched the toy to his chest possessively, leaning out of her reach, a serious look on his face.

"Someone doesn't know how to share."

Philip stuck his tongue out at her and grinned.

Melanie reached across the bed to grab the game, as Philip leaned further back trying to keep it away from her. He playfully held it up higher, almost over his head, as Melanie reached for the Speak & Spell again. Melanie frowned in mock anger as he continued to try to evade her. Finally he handed it over to her, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Thank you," she said. Her heart soaring that Philip had been able to do so much. Maybe he would make a full recovery after all.

She typed in her name, just messing around with the buttons. He leaned over her and erased what she wrote, his fingers grazing hers as he typed in his own name.

"I guess I don't need to ask if you know who you are," she chuckled.

He smiled at her as he tapped rhythmically on the screen. It was as if he was trying out all his senses, getting reacquainted with his body and the world.

"You've really mastered that smiling thing. Are you happy?"

She wanted to reach out and touch him, almost to prove to herself all of this was truly happening. Melanie tended to have extremely vivid dreams, maybe this was one of them. She needed to pinch herself to see if she were really awake, or better yet pinch him to see if he responded. But she held back, trying to follow the doctors' orders to take it easy on him.

"Confused," he typed, shrugging his shoulders.

"I know." Melanie patted his shoulder quickly before pulling her hand back, the only contact she would allow herself. "Soon you will know everything okay?"

"Okay," he typed. They sat quietly for a moment just staring at the screen, until he leaned over again and typed, "Mother".

"Oh Kate. She was here already. Constantly in fact. You were always sleeping though. She is going to be so thrilled to see you finally awake. Your dad too. I will call them in a little while. So they can come back and see you. Sound good?"

"Good," he typed giving her a bright smile.

"Maybe we should play one of the games on here," suggested Melanie.

Philip nodded enthusiastically taking the toy from Melanie.

The door swung open and in walked Malika with a very unhappy Parker in her arms. Philip's eyebrows shot up as the woman entered.

Malika's slender 5'10" frame, deep brown skin, and dark hair made her a favorite of many of the male patients in the hospital. Even with a crying baby in her arms she looked stunning. Melanie quickly hopped out of her chair and went over to them.

"What are you doing here?" Melanie asked in hushed tones, hoping Philip didn't overhear. She glanced over her shoulder to see if Philip was listening. Thankfully, he was engrossed in the Speak & Spell.

"He got really fussy in the nursery after you left. I think when he saw you for the few minutes when you got the game, he was upset you didn't stay. No one can calm him down. So I brought him to you. Is that okay?" asked Malika.

Melanie took Parker out of Malika's arms, rubbing his back. Parker instantly calmed down as he rested his head on Melanie's shoulder.

"It's fine. We just got to do some creative thinking here with Philip, but luckily I am fast on my feet. Maggie will be here soon to pick him up anyway."

"So good to see Philip conscious," said Malika looking over at Philip on his bed. "I can sit with him if you want, while you tend to the baby or something. Not everyday I get to spend time with a patient as gorgeous as this one," she added with a quick wink.

"Ok wipe the drool. He's mine." Malika was cool people, one of her closest friends from nursing school, but she also had the reputation for being a shameless flirt.

"Easy girl," Malika laughed. "Just appreciating the man. I'm just happy he's back with us. I'm happy for you Mel."

Melanie realized that she was happy. Philip on the mend, Parker in her arms, maybe things were on the upswing. It was nice to have her two Kiriakis men in the same spot, this time both alert. She couldn't tell Philip about Parker yet, but they could at least meet each other unofficially.

"Thanks. We're going to be good here."

"Talk to you later," said Malika as she walked out the door.

Melanie turned back toward Philip with Parker in her arms. She adjusted his clothes, straightening his navy knit pants and tugging down the sleeves on his white shirt. He was about to meet his daddy, truly this time, she wanted him to look his best.

"Sorry about that," said Melanie as she eased into the chair, placing Parker in her lap facing Philip. "This little prince here was demanding my attention."

As if on cue, Parker cooed and smiled at Philip, leaning forward to get to him on the bed.

Philip typed, "Cutebaby" on the screen.

"He is very cute, just like his daddy. This is Parker," said Melanie standing Parker up on the edge of the bed, holding him steady underneath his arms.

Philip reached out and took Parker's hand. Parker gripped onto Philip's finger happily. Wrapping her arm around Parker's torso, Melanie sat him down on the bed beside Philip.

"I think he likes you."

Philip smiled and nodded as he continued to play with the baby. While Philip was distracted with Parker, Melanie pulled out her phone and quickly tapped an SOS text to Maggie with her free hand.

"Do you mind if we come sit next to you?" asked Melanie, turning her attention back to the duo. "The doctors want me to watch it, but you said you weren't in pain."

Philip slowly moved over making room on the bed beside him.

"That's better. That way you guys can get acquainted easier."

Melanie had to turn away from them to hide the tears that were building in her eyes. It was an incredible feeling to see Philip and Parker interacting this way, finally. They seemed to be taking to each other so naturally. Parker was trying to inch closer and closer to Philip, Melanie could feel him wiggling in her arms. Philip couldn't take his eyes off of Parker, giving him his full attention as he let the baby play with his hand. She watched Philip rub his hand gently over Parker's blond hair. Melanie wanted to tell Philip that Parker was his. She wanted him to pick him up and hold him, to give him all the love that she was so sure Parker had been missing.

"Well boys, playtime's over. I've got to get this little one home." Instead she had to separate them, her heart twisting as Philip's face fell as she lifted a suddenly whiney Parker from the bed. "Be right back Philip."

Melanie stepped out into the waiting area, leaning her back against the door momentarily to compose herself. She spotted Maggie rushing toward her from the elevator.

"Melanie, my word, I got your frantic text. I thought something was wrong," said Maggie when she reached her.

"Something was. I had Philip and Parker together and I couldn't tell him that Parker is his son."

"It's not like Philip can talk to ask any questions."

"Philip is communicating. Not talking, but still he is curious. He wants to know about the accident."

"Give it time," said Maggie patting Melanie on the arm. "Everything will be out and dealt with. For now we just have to keep Philip calm. We just got him back, we don't want to shock him."

"I just hate keeping things from him, especially something as big as this. I almost broke down in tears when I saw Philip playing with Parker. I have been wishing so hard for a moment like that."

Maggie gave Melanie a sympathetic smile. "Our prayers have been answered. It's a good thing. Just be patient for the rest."

"See you soon baby," said Melanie as she kissed Parker on the cheek and handed him to Maggie. She watched Maggie carry Parker to the elevator, before she turned to go back to Philip.

From the doorway, Melanie watched as Philip slowly tried to roll up the sleeves on his pajamas. He licked his lips in concentration as he focused on getting his hands to cooperate. A small smile broke on his face when he finally was successful.

"Sorry about that," said Melanie alerting Philip to her presence in the room."Parker's ride was here. Have you been playing without me?"

Philip shrugged, looking down at the Speak & Spell in his lap. His mood had seemed to change since just a few minutes before.

"What's wrong? You seem a little down now? Getting tired?" asked Melanie with growing concern.

Philip shook his head. "Claire", he typed, holding the toy up so Melanie could read the screen.

"Seeing Parker made you think about Claire?" asked Melanie as she stood next to the bed.

Philip nodded, turning to look at her quizzically.

"Sorry Philip. I know you must miss her."

He nodded sadly.

"I can maybe bring Parker back again to visit. You two seemed to like each other."

"Likethat", typed Philip, perking up at the suggestion.

"Good." She sat back next to him on the bed. He shot her a curious look. "I know that we're breaking the rules. And if they come in here and catch us together on the bed, I'm just going to blame you."

His eyes widened in surprise, at her words.

"It's all your fault. You forced me to sit next you. I can't help it if my patient finds me irresistible," she teased.

He poked her in the arm with a finger as he laughed silently.

Melanie leaned back against the pillow, closing her eyes, just enjoying the feel of him next to her. It had been a week since she had been this close to him. The constant stream of doctors and Victor and Kate had made it hard for Melanie to get any alone time with Philip. She felt his elbow gently nudge her side. She looked down at the word he was showing her on the Speak & Spell.

"Kiss? You're really pushing your luck Mr. Kiriakis," she smiled. "But I won't tell if you won't." She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. Philip leaned back from her a surprised smile on his face. "What? You didn't want a kiss there? Why don't you show me where you want a kiss?"

Philip shook his head and looked down at her hand, lightly touching her wedding rings.

"My rings?" Melanie squirmed next to him. They would have a lot to talk about in terms of their relationship. She really didn't know where to begin. "I guess we should talk about that. Not now though. Soon."

Philip shook his head emphatically and erased the word from the screen. She watched as he wrote a new word on the Speak & Spell and handed it to Melanie. She looked at him in shock, tears starting to puddle in her eyes as she let their meaning sink in. He had written "misschloe".

"Miss Chloe?" Melanie read aloud, hoping that somehow he had meant something else.

Philip just nodded sadly, and looked away from her, his blue eyes clouding with emotion.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Chloe sat in the small enclosed room, hands folded on the table in front of her, waiting. She imagined the room must have been a supply closet at some point in the past. The walls were covered in a thick coat of white paint, but she could still see the holes in the wall where shelves must have been hung. And of course, no windows, barely any of the rooms in the hospital had them. She had been spoiled back in Salem with her private room with its large window. The state hospital provided no such luxuries. White walls, no windows, glaring fluorescent lights, and roommates.

Iley was her name, or so she had been told. She hadn't actually met her roommate yet, just saw the evidence of her arrival, strewn all over the floor of the room. Chloe hadn't stayed for a meet and greet. She had gone to the recreation room, her first earned privilege; to read a book, watch TV, to get some light. The recreation room was one of the few areas in the hospital that had windows, large almost floor to ceiling windows that gave the room almost a cheerful glow in full sunlight.

She had found a seat away from the other patients. Chloe wasn't much in the mood for mingling. She just wanted to try to block out her thoughts. The television was playing, a commercial for floor cleaner. She hoped a movie or sitcom was what they had all been watching, something to let her escape from harshness that had become her life. No such luck. It was a replay of the previous night's 3T, Titan Tattler Tonight, the entertainment news magazine.

Sinking a little in her seat, as all eyes turned toward her. The feature story, the transfer of the mother of the Kiriakis heir to the state mental institution. Life was definitely mocking her. Years of wanting fame, only to get it this way, under these circumstances. Even the patients at the hospital knew her face now. How would she ever get past all of this? The media had placed a spotlight on her for months, not to mention on Philip. His miraculous recovery had made 3T as well, although no in depth report was given. Chloe bet Victor had placed a gag order on the media and threatened legal action against anyone that invaded Philip's privacy. Chloe on the other hand was fair game. She was sure Victor even fed them information just to insure she was always shown in the worst possible light.

When the aide came into the recreation room to escort her to an impromptu therapy session, it had felt like a rescue to Chloe. The other patients were slowly inching closer to her, looking ready to pounce. She had escaped for now, but she knew in time she would have to address the countless questions the other patients were going to have for her. She briefly entertained the idea of doing something dramatic to get placed in solitary confinement, or the suicide room as it was nicknamed by the other patients. Patients that attempted to kill themselves or others were placed in a room alone with no furniture and padded walls. Apparently the phrase padded cell wasn't just a term people used when they talked about mental institutions. They actually existed. Alone in a padded cell almost seemed like a better alternative than facing all the questions, or worse yet the judgment. If she were to believe the whispers, even mentally unstable people watched the news and took sides. She had been there a little over a week and already her life was fodder for the hospital gossips.

Chloe adjusted the sleeves on her white cotton sweatshirt. It was a pullover, zippers were not allowed. Another not so subtle reminder about the reality of her situation, Drew had been right. Every detail of her life was planned for her now. If only she had listened to him and not snuck out of the hospital. Maybe she would be free right now, and on the road to getting her son back. It was done, she couldn't dwell. The drugs the hospital had given her had clouded her judgment, although Chloe wasn't so sure she wouldn't have made the same choice even if she weren't drugged up. She needed to be with her son. She would do anything to be with him, including this. Enduring this place, becoming the model patient. Just maybe that would get her a reprieve, an early release, a chance to visit him at least. Anything would be better than being stuck here hours away from the most important person in her life.

Persons, if she were being honest with herself, Chloe was locked away from the most important persons in her life. Not being able to see Philip, to make sure he was truly okay with her own eyes, was starting to physically hurt. Almost as much as being away from Parker hurt. That strange link they forged when Philip woke up grasping her hand was stronger than ever. Being away from Philip, from Parker, it was starting to feel like someone had severed a limb from her body. She didn't understand it, couldn't explain it, but since that morning, Chloe had changed. She was no longer alone, and she could feel it. That feeling is what got her out of the bed every morning, kept her faking smiles, cooperating with staff, kept her from giving up. She had too much to live for, and it all was waiting outside the hospital doors, in Salem.

A female aide, with brown hair pulled tightly into a bun, dressed in too tight pale green scrubs entered the room, placing a black telephone in front of her on the table.

"What's this?" asked Chloe. "I thought my doctor was coming."

"Your doctor is on the phone. Apparently she is conducting her session remotely. But don't get any ideas, we may not be able to hear you in here, but we are watching." And with that, she promptly left the room, leaving Chloe to stare at the phone.

With shaky hands she picked up the receiver, not sure what to expect. Dr. Hill wasn't supposed to meet with her until later in the week, and she couldn't imagine the woman opting to consult over the phone. She seemed to like face to face interaction way too much. So Chloe suspected that Nicole could be role playing again, masquerading as her doctor, to get her a message.

"Hello? Dr. Morgan?" she asked into the phone. She had almost used Nicole's name but thought better of it just in case. The hospital said they weren't allowed to listen to patient sessions, just observe, but Chloe still didn't trust them. Privacy didn't exist for people like her.

"Chloe, it's me, Melanie," the voice on the other end responded.

"Melanie? What's wrong? Why are you calling me?" Chloe got chills at the sound of Melanie's voice. It had to be something truly awful for Melanie to make contact in this way. She almost wanted to hang up the phone immediately, to avoid the probable pain to come.

"Brady told me to use the doctor's name. I hope I don't get you into trouble," said Melanie. She sounded a bit uneasy, almost nervous.

"Just tell me why you called," urged Chloe. "Is something the matter with Parker?" She wanted to mention Philip too, but she stopped herself, trying to respect the boundaries of her position. She didn't have the right to question Philip's wife so eagerly.

"Oh no, no. Parker is good. That's not why I'm calling."

"So you called just to check up on me?" Chloe asked a puzzled expression on her face. "I mean that's nice if you did…"

"It's Philip," stated Melanie abruptly.

Chloe's stomach twisted. "What about Philip?" she asked not able to expand further on that question. She didn't want to say any of the scenarios that had suddenly popped into her mind.

"Well you know he is out of his coma."

"Yeah. I was there," said Chloe slowly.

"Right. I know. I mean, Nicole told you about how he's doing?" Melanie asked.

Chloe's tension level was rising. It seemed like Melanie was deliberately being obtuse. Chloe wondered what she was trying to avoid.

"Yes she did," responded Chloe. "Did something change? Has he taken a turn for the worse?"

"Not exactly. He's still not talking, but he's getting better every day. It is amazing actually. I never thought," she hesitated. Chloe could hear her getting choked up on the other end of the line. "I just never thought it would be like this. He's really back."

"I'm so glad Melanie," Chloe paused, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm so happy for you both. Must have been some reunion."

"Well he's not talking yet, and we are trying to ease him back into things. Not jar him, you know? So he hasn't been told anything," Melanie paused. "About anything."

"About Parker you mean?"

"Right. It's too soon still."

"I can understand that. You still didn't tell me why you called." Chloe nervously chewed on her lower lip, awaiting Melanie's response.

"I don't know how to put this. I can't even believe I'm about to say this. I mean just to be having this conversation with you of all people," she said, words stopping and starting as she tried to explain.

"Can you please just tell me Melanie?" asked Chloe cutting her off mid ramble.

"Philip needs you."

There was silence. It was as if they both were holding their breaths after that statement, unsure where to go from there.

"What?" asked Chloe, confused. "I don't understand."

"He's been asking about you? Asking for you."

"I thought you said he couldn't talk."

"We have been communicating with a Speak & Spell." Melanie giggled slightly after she said it, as if she were remembering a private joke.

"A what?"

Nothing was making sense, and Chloe was starting to wonder if she were having another allergic reaction to her medication. Why would Philip be asking his wife about her?

"It's a toy. Doesn't really matter. The point is Philip has been asking where you are and wanting to see you. I can't tell him anything about what has gone down these past nine months yet, but I needed to do something. He's getting upset."

"Upset?" Chloe asked trying to keep the alarm out of her voice, She clearly failed because she could hear Melanie let out a disgusted sigh on the other end.

"I think he's worried about you."

The strangest feeling passed over Chloe's body. Her heart lifted and broke all at once. Philip was thinking about her, but he was in pain because of it. She didn't know how to take that information and the worst part of all was that there was nothing she could do about it anyway.

"Melanie I'm so confused. What can I do for him? I am stuck all the way here. There's no way they're letting me out to go visit Philip." She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. Once again she was letting down someone that needed her, first Parker and now his father.

"I need you to talk to him, reassure him you're okay."

"Over the phone?"

"I am going to put you on speaker and you can talk to him. If he responds I will read what he types. Can you do that?" asked Melanie.

She could hear the almost desperation in Melanie's voice. It must have taken a lot for her even to make this call. Philip must be really upset if Melanie was willing to do this for him.

"I will do anything for him." She paused, cursing herself for her choice of words. "I mean I will help you guys anyway I can."

"Just remember you can't mention Parker or anything that has happened."

"I understand," replied Chloe, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I'm going to put you on speaker now. Hold on."

Chloe heard Melanie talking in the background. "Philip I've got a surprise for you. Someone wants to talk to you."

It felt strange, after all of these months she was actually going to talk to Philip again. Well she would be talking, he would be listening, but still it was a rush to imagine that he was awake on the other end, hearing her voice. There was so much she wanted to say to him.

"All set. You're on speaker now."

"Philip? Hi," she said timidly. Now that she was on the spot, her mind went blank.

"He's smiling and he typed in your name. He knows it's you Chloe."

"I am so glad to hear you're feeling better. You had us all so scared."

"He typed 'he's sorry'," said Melanie.

"Don't be," replied Chloe softly.

He had absolutely nothing to be sorry for. If he knew all the things she had done, while he was in the coma, he would be appalled. Chloe shook those thoughts from her head, trying to remain focused on the present.

"Wait he's typing something else," said Melanie. "He wants to know when you are coming to visit."

"Philip I would love to see you." Chloe smiled into the phone. "I can't wait to get that chance, but I'm sort of busy right now. Out of town."

"He typed in 'singing'."

"That's right. I'm singing, so I can't leave just yet. You know the show must go on, gotta face the music."

"I think he's trying to say he's proud of you. Is that right Philip? Yes, he's proud of your singing."

"Thank you Philip. You've always been my biggest supporter."

Chloe wiped the tears that were falling down her face. Philip was just back among the living and he was already being her cheerleader, trying to boost her confidence. She made a silent vow, to return the favor one day. She was going to become a positive presence in his life, be the friend he had always been to her.

"He typed, 'so talented'."

"You're making me blush. No more compliments."

"He typed," Melanie hesitated for a moment, her voice cracking as she continued. "Beautiful."

Her cheeks warmed, as she imagined him saying those words directly to her, instead of through Melanie. She could almost see him, smiling at her, his eyes sparkling.

"Always the charmer Philip Kiriakis. Has he been laying it on like this with you too Melanie?"

"Well…he's typing. He wrote, 'cute little nurse'." Chloe could hear the smile in Melanie's voice as she spoke. "There's something really creepy about you flirting on a child's toy Philip. He's laughing now."

Chloe pressed her ear closer to the phone, hoping to hear some sound from Philip, some evidence he really was there listening.

"I'm glad you're in a good mood. How do you feel?"

Melanie laughed. "He wrote 'hungry'. I guess your liquid diet is not holding you? He is shaking his head no."

Chloe let out a sob. She covered her mouth with her hand, hoping that her reaction could not be heard over the phone. She was glad Philip seemed to be in good spirits, but it was killing her to be so far apart from him. All of those months of praying for her friend to open his eyes and talk to her, only for him to finally do it when she was three hours away.

"I wish I could see you Philip. I want to see your face." Chloe knew she shouldn't have said it, Melanie was probably scowling, but at the moment she couldn't bring herself to care. She needed him to know how much she missed him.

The line went quiet. Chloe almost thought Melanie had hung up on her, but then she finally spoke. "He said he wants to see you too."

"I need to go now Philip," Chloe said, no longer able to contain her emotions. She had to hang up before she broke down in tears on the phone. "I hope to see you real soon. Okay?"

"He typed 'you promise'," said Melanie softly.

"I do. I promise." She closed her eyes and sent a mental hug to Philip, hoping somehow he could feel it.

"I'm going to talk to Chloe before she hangs up okay? Chloe?"

"Yeah," responded Chloe her voice hoarse from crying. Once Melanie had taken them off speaker, the tears just started flowing.

"Thanks again for doing that. You made him very happy," she said. Melanie had been crying too, Chloe could hear her sniffling.

"Happy to be of some help. I hate that I'm stuck here useless."

"You're not useless. Philip is back because of you."

"I don't think that's true.." Chloe drew slow circles on the table with her finger.

"It is," Melanie interrupted. "He came back for you," Melanie added in a tear filled voice.

"Doesn't matter who he woke up with," said Chloe feeling a sudden need to reassure Melanie. She was only guessing, but it seemed like maybe Melanie was struggling with the fact that Philip had responded to her. "We just have to be glad he's back right?"

"Right. Well hopefully this will put him at ease. I think he was wondering why you weren't around."

"It seems a little strange though, him being so focused on me."

"I wouldn't say focused," said Melanie. Chloe detected an edge of defensiveness creep into Melanie's voice. "He's been getting lots of visitors and the doctors are here constantly."

"Oh I know. I didn't mean…I don't want you to think I meant anything by it. I just meant I don't get why he was asking about me specifically. He has you and his family around."

"Maybe he remembers you were there when he woke up."

The brown haired aide opened the door to the room, and stood in the doorway. That was Chloe's cue that therapy time was over.

"Could be. I better go now. The aide is giving me a funny look."

"Okay. Take care Chloe."

She glanced at the aide in the doorway. "And Dr. Morgan?"

"Yeah."

"You take care of them…Parker and Philip." Chloe took a breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. "Knowing they're safe is sort of what's keeping me going in here."

"I'll always take care of them. They are my family."

Chloe wanted to say they were her family too, but she thought better of it. "I know."

"Goodbye Chloe."

"Bye," Chloe said softly as she hung up.

The aide came over to the table, retrieving the phone, before indicating that Chloe should leave the room as well. Back to her regimented life, and her new roommate. She wasn't looking forward to any of it, yet Chloe couldn't contain her smile. Philip had been thinking about her. It probably was wrong for her to be feeling this way, especially about another woman's husband, but Chloe didn't care. It was the proof she had been hoping for, evidence that something wonderful had happened between them that morning he woke up. It wasn't all in her head. He had felt it too.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The line went dead, Chloe was gone, and all the air went out of the room with her. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She had managed to keep it together in front of him, allowing only a few tears to escape as she watched him react to the sound of Chloe's voice. It had been agony seeing his smile grow, his dimples deepening, the longer Chloe remained on the phone. Philip hadn't been this happy since he had woken up. It wasn't like Melanie could be upset that Philip was happy, only a grinch would deny a man that had been in a coma for months any source of joy. But why did that joy have to come in a tall, dark haired, bosomy, blue eyed package?

She was doing it again, allowing herself to get all worked up over Chloe. She was trying so hard to trust him, to hang on to all the things he said the night of the accident, about how he felt about her. It just was really hard to keep her insecurities at bay when he kept bringing up Chloe or when his face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning at the sound of her voice. He was giving smiles to Chloe, albeit over the phone, that he had not once given to her since he came out of the coma. Melanie was starting to worry that maybe Philip had given up on them, somewhere in his mind while he was in a coma. Maybe he thought they were still breaking up and that's why he was being so distant with her.

He had been giving her small little shy smiles and tentative touches all week. It was as if he were almost afraid of her. Yet other times he was joking with her and having fun. He really seemed to enjoy her steady stream of one way conversation, and he loved beating her at the memory game on the Speak & Spell. There was something odd about Philip that she couldn't quite figure out. The doctors so far hadn't found anything wrong with him, but it still was too soon to rule out any permanent brain damage. When Philip fell from the car, he hit the ground pretty hard, it was more than plausible that some of his brain cells could have been destroyed. The results of his scans wouldn't be in until later, so all Melanie could do was wait, and hope Philip was okay. She hoped his strange behavior was just his attempts at readjusting to life, and not a sign of anything worse.

Ironically, she missed Philip more now than before, since he had been awake. She no longer spent nights in his room, uncomfortable with the scrutiny she received from his constant flow of visitors. It was like someone barging into her bedroom unannounced. So Melanie had began to spend more time at home, with Parker and Maggie. Her days were still filled with Philip though, he was her number one patient, and she was right by his side whenever he didn't have visitors or examinations. He seemed to need her there, looking to her uncertainly whenever the doctors began their prodding, at times grabbing her hand when blood was drawn or when skin was pinched. Those were the times when Melanie felt most at ease. She had been taking care of Philip for months, it was natural to her to be the one to hold his hand through his recovery. At least he wasn't pushing her away in that regard. He seemed to appreciate her as his nurse. It was just his other needs, the ones she couldn't seem to meet, that were killing Melanie. His emotional attachment to Chloe, the sadness in his eyes when he asked about her, the loneliness she seemed to sense from him, even while she was in the room. Philip was searching for something. It was something that Melanie was slowly realizing she wouldn't be able to give him.

She had called Brady under the pretense of thanking him for helping her get in contact with Chloe, but really she just needed him. Philip and Brady had always had this strained relationship teetering between love and hate, but when the chips were down they were always there for each other. They counted on each other. And Melanie had grown to count on Brady too, he was just as much her brother as Max was, maybe even more so, because he had been by her side through everything, good and bad. So even though Brady didn't always approve of her choices when it came to Philip, he always understood. No one else knew the depths of her feelings for Philip like Brady did.

Brady must have been reading her mind, or perhaps he heard something in her voice, because not fifteen minutes later Brady had arrived at the hospital, with hugs and coffee. Melanie had looked up in surprise when she saw him approach, he hadn't told her he was coming to the hospital. He just smiled sheepishly as he opened his arms to her, coffee cup in each hand, and let her squeeze his torso tightly.

"We could go out for coffee instead of torturing ourselves here with this sludge," said Brady Black as he handed Melanie a cup of coffee before taking a seat beside her.

"That's okay." Melanie blew on the steaming hot coffee. "I'm immune to it, it almost tastes good to me now."

Brady scrunched his nose up in distaste as he took another sip. "That's some powerful imagination you have there, Mel. No way is this stuff even remotely good."

"You can go out and get something if you want," she shrugged. I just don't want to leave him." Melanie looked over toward Philip's door. She had been sitting out in the waiting room for hours, the doctors had kicked her out to do more tests.

"And miss out on the chance to talk with you? Not a chance. It feels like ages since we've hung out." Brady rubbed her shoulder affectionately.

"Maybe that's because you've been spending all your time in bed with Nicole."

Brady sighed. "Mel, let's not even go there. I'm not discussing Nicole with you."

"Good. I don't want to hear about your tawdry little affair anyway."

"Nicole's barely married, and for the record we're not sleeping together." He took off his leather jacket and put it on the seat behind him. "Anymore," he added.

"Trouble in paradise so soon?" asked Melanie sarcastically.

"It's complicated."

"It always is when you're doing another man's wife."

Melanie hated being so judgmental. Normally she wouldn't even care what or who Brady did. But after being the victim of a cheating spouse, her outlook on life had changed. It didn't seem right for Nicole and Brady to be carrying on behind EJ's back. Even someone with as shady a reputation as EJ, didn't deserve to be lied to. Besides Brady was a better man than that.

Brady shot her a look. "Can we not do this in the middle of the hospital waiting room?"

"Fine. I just worry about you. You seem like you're drifting these days. I need you as my rock, I can't have you losing it over some baby stealing slut."

"I'm good. Really," he said patting her knee when she looked over at him skeptically. "The one you need to focus on is Philip. He's looking better everyday."

"He is doing better too. It feels like such a cliché, but it truly has been a miracle."

"I'm so happy that finally something went right for this family. We keep getting hit after hit. It was high time for some good news."

Melanie nodded her head and smiled. "Thanks again Brady for helping me call Chloe."

"You're welcome. I guess since I dipped my toe into forgery and fraud I should just jump all the way in," he chuckled, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

"It's only illegal if you get caught anyway."

Brady shook his head and smiled. "I think my Uncle Bo would have something to say about that."

"Bo hasn't been back to see Philip yet. You know since the day he woke up."

He scratched at the stubble on his chin. "Really? I wonder why."

"Hope told me he's been busy and there was another stakeout or something."

"You say that like you don't believe it."

"I just think it is hard facing someone when you are filled with so much guilt. I think he's worried Philip is going to blame him for what happened."

"That's ridiculous. Philip's not like that," scoffed Brady. "Besides he hasn't done that to you has he?"

"He's only tried to bring up the accident once, but that could change once he gets his voice back."

"Any idea when that might happen?" Brady asked.

"He's been getting therapy to strengthen his vocal cords, so it could be at any time," she replied.

"You must be so anxious for that."

"I am. I really need to hear his voice again. I miss it. I actually missed everything about him, but I really miss hearing him talk. The way he says my name used to give me shivers." A slight smile formed on her face as she remembered. "It's crazy. I have known Philip for a few years, married the man, and he still gives me butterflies."

"Not crazy. Love. We should all be so lucky to find someone that makes us feel that way."

"I am pretty lucky, aren't I?" she asked, smiling.

"I should say so," he grinned. "Not many women can say they landed the crush they stalked and harassed for months."

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I didn't stalk him. I was just persistent."

"Wearing him down, until he bent to your will?" Brady teased.

"More like helping him face the truth, that I was the only woman for him."

"I think he got that message loud and clear. Finally. He's all yours."

"Yep, mine," Melanie responded softly.

"So why did you do it?"

"Do what?" Melanie asked turning to look at him.

"Call Chloe? I couldn't believe it when you came to me about it."

"Philip needed to talk to her."

"Philip needed to talk to the woman he cheated on you with and you just let him?" Brady asked incredulously.

"You know it is more complicated than that Brady. They have a son together."

"Philip doesn't know that."

"Well I do. He was asking about her so much, raising his blood pressure. I just wanted to make him feel better."

"So you were just taking care of him?" Brady asked drawing his words out slowly.

"Right, as his nurse and his spouse, it is my job to make sure his needs are met."

"Enough with the Stepford wife act. Did you want to claw her eyes out or what?"

"He smiled and was happy. So I was happy. Let's leave it at that." Melanie stared into her coffee cup.

"What are you not telling me?" asked Brady looking down trying to meet Melanie's eyes.

"Nothing," Melanie said shaking her head, trying to rid herself of all the doubts. "Chloe just reassured him that she was okay and that she would see him soon."

"You look like you want to throw up. Tell me what else happened."

Melanie paused, unsure whether she should tell Brady anything about the call. "It might just be in my head, I'm not sure. But it seemed like he was sort of flirting with her."

Brady's jaw dropped. "Flirting? With a Speak & Spell?"

"I know. Weird huh? I think I'm just being paranoid."

"I think I need to go in there and knock some sense into him," said Brady rising to his feet.

Melanie frowned. "Great idea, beat up the guy with the head injury."

"Clearly he has a screw loose if he's flirting with another woman in front of you, Chloe no less."

Melanie could hear the irritation in Brady's voice. He always got so protective of her when it came to Philip. Melanie often wondered if that protective streak had more to do with their history with Chloe and less to do with her. It had felt at times that Melanie was caught in the middle of a pissing contest between the two men. Each of them wanted to prove themselves the better man.

"He can't talk Brady. I'm sure I was getting it all wrong."

"You have some of the best instincts around. Don't ignore them."

"I am just focusing on his recovery. Let's just drop it," she said lifting her red hair up, fanning the back of her neck to cool off. "We can deal with all the impending drama later."

"Looks like the doctors are leaving," said Brady turning his attention toward Philip's door. Three doctors in white lab coats exited Philip's room.

Melanie stood up beside Brady, taking the coffee cup from his hand. "Duty calls. I better get back to my patient."

"Don't pretend like you're not excited to go be with him. It's written all over your face."

"That obvious?" asked Melanie over her shoulder as she discarded their cups in the trashcan a few feet away.

"Extremely. Philip must be overjoyed that you are looking at him like that again. He had pretty much thrown in the towel before the accident."

"Well we talked things out while stuck in the car. He had swayed me then to take a second chance with him. I just never told him."

It had been one of her biggest regrets. She had let Philip think that there was no chance for them the night of the accident. She shouldn't have been so stubborn. She should've let him know that she wanted to be with him again. That was a big lesson learned for her out of all of this. Never let things go unsaid. Time is too precious, life too fleeting, to hold back how you feel.

"Now you can."

"I just need the green light from his doctors that I can talk to him about the major stuff."

"Like Parker?"

"Yes like that."

"He's in for a big surprise," said Brady with a slight smile. "I wonder how he'll take it all."

"I think about that often. Sometimes I think he'll be fine with it all, but other times, I'm not so sure. It's a lot to take in at once."

"With you by his side, he'll be able to handle anything," he said pulling her into his arms, resting his chin on her head.

"Are you sure that coffee wasn't spiked?" Melanie asked stepping away from him. "I can't believe you are being so positive about me and Philip as a couple."

"Your love brought him back. How can I deny that?"

"Actually it was Chloe that brought him back. My months by his side didn't do a thing," she said sadly.

"Nonsense and you know it. Philip would be dead if it weren't for you. I don't care if at the moment he opened his eyes Chloe was there. It was you that fought for him, took care of him, did everything in your power to keep him with us. Don't let Chloe take that from you."

"I can't help it. What does that say about my connection to Philip if he wouldn't even respond to me?" she asked blinking back the tears in her eyes. "Deep down I must mean nothing to him."

"How do you even know that he didn't think it was you holding his hand? We don't know how much he was aware of at the time."

Melanie shrugged. "He keeps asking about Chloe. That has to mean something."

"Let's go ask him. Right now," he said grabbing her hand and leading her toward the room.

"He's not ready for that conversation," said Melanie pulling back from him, before coming to a full stop. "I'm not ready for that conversation. We just got him back, let's not stress him out yet."

"I won't stress him. I promise. I just need to ask him a few questions."

"You'd have to get rid of Kate. The last thing we need is for her to know that Philip has been asking about Chloe."

The absolute last thing they needed. Kate would make a scene, upset Philip, world war three would break out. The best way to keep Philip calm was to keep his mother calm.

"She's in there? I thought he was being examined."

"He was. Kate refused to leave. She's in full on mama bear mode at this point. You know how worried she was about Philip. Now it's like she doesn't want to let him out of her sight."

Brady rolled his eyes. "I can't deal with Kate right now. I guess all of this will have to wait."

"Probably for the best."

"You stay strong Mel," said Brady hugging her again. "No more worrying about Chloe. Philip came back to you. Time to enjoy your miracle."

"I'll see you Brady."

Melanie hesitated outside of Philip's door after Brady left, feeling a bit apprehensive about going back in. She really wasn't sure if she was up to watching Philip continue to fixate on Chloe. She hoped the phone call would curtail his interest in Chloe, but something told Melanie that it wouldn't be the case. The world had shifted somehow since Philip had woken up, and Melanie could feel the turbulence ahead. Squashing down the rising dread in her stomach, she turned the knob on the door, and went inside. She couldn't run away from a miracle, no matter how much her instincts were telling her to.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"There you are. I was hoping you'd come back," said Kate as Melanie entered Philip's room.

"What's going on?" asked Melanie closing the door behind her.

Kate was standing in the middle of the room, coat over her arm, hand on her hip, looking very annoyed.

"Philip is being a brat," stated Kate turning to face Melanie. Melanie glanced over Kate's shoulder at Philip. He was mouthing the words "help me" from his bed. "The therapist brought in this keyboard communicator and Philip refuses to use it."

"Why are you giving your mom a hard time Philip?" she asked walking over to his bed. He was sitting upright in his loosely fitting blue striped pajamas, the Speak & Spell clutched to his chest.

"It is like he and that ridiculous toy are joined," Kate complained.

Philip set his jaw resolutely, standing his ground against his mother. Melanie tried to cover her amusement at this little standoff. She was pretty sure Philip was just asserting his independence. Something patients often did when confined in a situation that left them helpless. Philip had little control over anything in his life, but he could dictate whether or not he communicated.

"Well maybe if you threaten him with a timeout he'll put it down," offered Melanie in a mock serious tone.

"Cute," replied Kate, clearly not amused.

"What do you want me to do Kate? I can't force him to use that other machine."

"You're his nurse, aren't you trained in this sort of thing?" Kate asked with a flip of her hair.

Melanie sighed smoothing out the wrinkles in her scrubs. "In what? Making big babies obey their mommies?" Melanie could see Philip's face scrunch into a snarl at the comment. She bit back her urge to laugh at him.

"I don't know? Patient management," huffed Kate. Melanie turned her head to hide the roll of her eyes from Kate. Her mother in law had a way of ordering people around and making everyone feel like her servants.

Normally, Melanie would have given a nastier retort, but she was trying to keep things civil, for Philip's sake. "Oh that. Let me go get my rectal thermometer. He'll be typing in no time."

Philip grabbed Melanie's hand and pulled her closer to him on the bed. She sat down next to him, leaning back against his pillow.

"I can take a hint. You two want some alone time. But you better be using that thing when I get back Philip. I'm not going to speak to you through an electronic game," said Kate as she walked out of the door.

When Kate was gone, Melanie turned to Philip. "So you're mouthing words now? What other changes have I missed since I've been gone?"

"Wheredidyougo," he typed tilting the Speak & Spell so she could read it.

"You were getting examined so I went and had coffee with Brady."

"Brady?" he mouthed, a surprised look on his face.

"He was going to come in, but he had to go. He'll be back soon. He's been anxious to see you. See you up and alert that is."

"Longtime," he typed.

"It has been. Everyone can't wait to come and visit. We should sell tickets," she chuckled.

Philip shook his head, a smile on his face.

"So why didn't you want to talk to your mother?"

"Confusing," he typed.

"What was confusing?"

He shrugged. "Letsplay," he typed.

Melanie sighed. "Avoidance will get you nowhere." He looked at her, a slight pout on his face. "Don't give me that look. You know I can't deny you when do that." He made his face more pitiful, sad eyes and a bigger pout. "Fine. I've got the cards."

Over an hour later, they were locked in an intense battle. Philip was staring her down over his hand of cards, trying to read her face. Melanie returned his gaze from her seat in the chair opposite him. Philip stuck his tongue in his cheek, and decided to call her bluff, placing his hand down on the little table they had pulled between them. Melanie's eyes brightened when she saw his cards.

"Full house! I win!" she yelled as she slammed her cards on the table. She jumped up from her chair and did a happy dance in front of him.

Philip frowned and shook his head in disgust.

"That's the third time I've beat you," she taunted. "Should we play again? Give you a shot to redeem yourself?"

Philip knocked the table with his hand, making the cards go flying across the room.

Melanie frowned as she watched the playing cards fall all around her feet. "Philip Kiriakis! That was beyond rude. You don't have to be such a sore loser. It's just a stupid game."

He crossed his arms and turned away from her with a scowl.

"I really shouldn't even pick these cards up," she said bending down collecting the cards. "I should make you do it. Just you wait until you're back on your feet. I'm going to get you back for this. I can't believe you had a tantrum because I beat you at cards."

"Cheater," he rasped.

Melanie turned around in a huff, placing her hands on her hips. "I did not cheat. I beat you fair and square."

He shook his head. "No you cheated."

"You take that back I…" Melanie stood up ready to defend herself, when she stopped. Did she just hear that? "Oh my God! Philip, you're talking."

He shrugged. "I guess I am."

"How long have you been able to do that?" asked Melanie, as she climbed up on the bed next to him, her smile so wide her mouth was starting to hurt.

"Since I was about two," he answered. His voice was low and scratchy, like someone with a bad cold that was just getting their voice back.

"I'm being serious. Have you been holding out on me this whole time?"

"The words just came out." He looked up at her sheepishly, almost as if he were wondering why she was so excited.

Melanie leaned across him, feeling his glands, examining his face. Philip stared at her amused by her actions.

"I'm so happy to hear you voice," Melanie said finally taking his face in her hands , gently stroking his hair back from his face, looking into his blue eyes.

"I can tell," he smiled, his cheeks reddening, but never dropping her gaze.

Something about the way he was looking at her, his eyes shining, she couldn't resist. Melanie leaned closer, pressing her lips against his, giving him a full lingering kiss.

Philip sat back in surprise. "Wow! What do I get if I start walking?"

"You just get back on your feet Mr. Kiriakis and I will give you everything you deserve," she said through lowered lids, the tone of her voice shifting to something more intimate.

"I need to give you a raise," he smirked. "What did I do to deserve a nurse like you?"

"I better go get a doctor and let them know you're speaking again," said Melanie getting up to leave.

"No wait," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her back down beside him. "Don't go."

Melanie smiled shyly, feeling like a girl with crush at his words. "They need to know. Everyone is going to be so excited. Your mom is going to be thrilled."

"Can we just hold off on the big announcements? Stay here and talk to me." She could hear his tone soften even through the rough rasp of his voice.

"I can do that I guess. I thought for sure your first words would be telling me to shut up."

"Why would I do that?" he asked in surprise.

Her eyes widened in shock. "Do you even need to ask?"

He ducked his head, hiding his small smile. "I kind of like how you babble."

"Babble? I don't babble, ramble maybe, but never babble. Everything I say is meaningful stuff."

"I just mean I like listening to you talk. It's sort of comforting."

"Really?" Her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. She had known Philip for years, but something about talking to him now felt like the first time. It all felt so new, like finally getting to spend time with a guy she had longed for from afar.

"Really," he said giving the hand he still held, a gentle squeeze. "But if you insist on going to tell everyone you can do that. I know you have a job to do."

She looked up at him and smiled. "The only thing I have to do is be here with you."

"You're so sweet," he said pulling the end of her ponytail, a smile on his face. "Your bedside manner is incredible."

"You said that to me before," she said shyly looking down at their still joined hands. He was rubbing his thumb gently over her hand as they talked.

"I did?" Philip asked.

Melanie started to respond when the door opened. An African-American woman with short dark hair peeped her head into the room.

"Knock, knock you two."

"Maxine!" announced Melanie happily as the woman entered the room. The head nurse was wearing her usual green scrubs, but this time her normal scowl was replaced by a bright smile.

"How's it going in here?" asked Maxine as she stepped a bit further into the room, one hand behind her back. "You, Mr. Kiriakis," she said pointing a dark brown finger at Philip. "Are the talk of the hospital. I had to come in here and see a real live miracle in person."

Melanie looked over at Philip to find him grinning widely. He seemed to be eating up all the gushing.

"It's so amazing isn't it? And guess what else?" Melanie could hardly contain her happiness, Philip was back, and now he was talking. She felt like she would burst if she didn't share the news. But Philip grabbed her hand to get her attention. He shook his head at her, reminding her to keep things under wraps a bit longer.

"What?" asked Maxine.

Melanie hesitated trying to think of something else to say now that she couldn't tell Maxine about Philip getting his voice back. "I…I beat him three times at cards," Melanie declared proudly. Philip rolled his eyes at her. Melanie nudged him playfully in his side, literally rubbing it in.

"Three times? I hope you weren't playing for money. You've got to watch this one, she's a shark."

Melanie frowned. "Wherever did you get an idea like that?"

"The hospital Christmas party when you took two neurologists and that lab tech for all their money."

"Oh that. Dumb luck." She fanned her hand at Maxine, indicating the lack of validity of that statement.

"Uh huh. Before I forget I came to give you this," said Maxine taking her hand from behind her back, revealing a little blue plate with a frosted chocolate cupcake on it.

"Looks yummy," said Melanie as she took the plate from her hands.

"From Wendy's party. I knew you wouldn't make it up there, so I got you some cake."

"That's so nice Maxine. Thank you."

"I'm going now. Leave you two to your therapy session. Take it easy on the man. He's been sick a long time."

Melanie glanced over at Philip and winked at him. "Oh I will. I'm not doing anything he can't handle."

"Mmm hmm," said Maxine as she left the room, a disbelieving smile on her face.

"Sorry I almost let it slip to Maxine," said Melanie after the woman had left. "My mouth sometimes just keeps going."

"That whole non babbling thing," he chuckled.

Melanie rolled her eyes at him before throwing him a playful smile, which Philip quickly returned. Maybe she had been overreacting. Philip seemed like he was getting back to his normal self with her. That tentativeness seemed to be evaporating as time passed. She was actually starting to feel close to him again.

"So what should we talk about?" asked Melanie dipping her finger into the chocolate frosting on her cupcake. She leaned over to put the cake on the table next to the bed. "The frosting's the best part don't you think?"

"Mm hmm" he said as his lips closed over her finger, closing his eyes as he savored the taste.

"Philip!" she exclaimed pulling her finger out of his mouth. "You're not supposed to have that."

"Well you were teasing me, waving your finger around like that," he explained with feigned innocence.

"I hope it doesn't make you sick." She leaned over and stuck her finger in the frosting again. "This lick is mine," she said as she quickly put her finger in her mouth sucking off the frosting. "It's really good," she said dipping into the frosting again.

He put his hand on her thigh, rubbing it slowly. "Why don't you lean a little closer so I can get another taste?"

"That depends on where you want to taste it from," she responded suggestively, feeling more than she should have from a simple touch on her leg. But the way Philip was looking at her, was starting to make her dizzy. He licked his lips and leaned closer, as if he might attempt to taste some lingering frosting on her lips.

"Is it getting hot in here?" he asked. The rough tone of his voice was so sexy, and Melanie's stomach was doing flips as Philip leaned into her at such close proximity. "You're pretty sassy for a married woman. Are you sure your husband's not going to come in here and kick my ass?" He arched his eyebrows at her provocatively.

"I have it on pretty good authority that he won't mind," she said as she leaned closer to him.

"Swingers?" he asked, a smile playing over his lips, as he stared at her intently.

It felt like he was seeing her for the first time, the way his eyes explored her features, moving from her eyes, to her lips, to her hair, then back to her eyes again. His hand was still on her thigh, and it almost burned, the warmth of his touch was filling her mind with so many memories.

"Whoa," she laughed, moving back a little trying to ease the tension between them. She didn't want to excite him too much. She wasn't sure how much his body could take. "Glad to see that the coma hasn't affected your mind. Still dirty as ever."

"If you only knew the things I'm not saying," he said licking his lips as he leaned back, pulling his eyes away from hers, squeezing her thigh one last time before removing his hand. "You'd have me brought up on harassment charges."

Melanie leaned across him, her hands on both sides of him, capturing him between the bed and her body. His smile widened at her new position, and he nestled back into his pillows, as if watching to see her next move. "I'm just glad you're back. After nine months of watching you lie in this bed, I'm down for anything."

His smile dropped and he shoved her back away from his body. "Did you just say nine months?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Answer me. Did you just say nine months?" he asked his blue eyes searching her face in confusion.

"When did I say that?" asked Melanie nervously. She wanted to slap herself, her big mouth once again causing trouble.

"Just now," said Philip pushing Melanie off of him completely. "You said I was in a coma for nine months."

Melanie got up from the bed and walked over to the window, away from his questioning eyes. She needed to figure out how to get him off the subject quickly. "I must've misspoken. I think you need to rest now, you're getting over excited."

"Don't try to wiggle your way out of this. Tell me the truth." She could hear Philip's temper starting to flare. The last thing she wanted was for his blood pressure to go up. She wasn't sure what to do, once Philip set his sights on something there was no getting him to back down.

"Philip, let me go get your doctor." Maybe if she left the room, he would have cooled down by the time she got back. Perhaps the doctor could give him a sedative or something. "You seem like you're getting agitated."

"I am agitated because you're withholding information from me," he said gruffly, his raspy voice making his tone sound even more menacing.

"I'm not. Calm down," she said quietly.

"Don't tell me to calm down. This is my life you're messing with here. I want answers," he demanded raising his voice as loud as he could. He twisted in the bed so he could see her, as she moved around the room trying to avoid looking at him, he followed her with his eyes, like a lion stalking his prey.

"I don't have any answers to give. I'm going to get the doctor now."

Melanie rushed toward the door, feeling like she might be in peril if she didn't escape. It wasn't that she was afraid of Philip, that was one thing she never was, but she was afraid of what he might do to himself, if he persisted with this demeanor.

"If you walk out that door, don't bother coming back," he said just as her hand twisted the door knob.

"What?" she asked turning around shocked by his statement.

He was facing forward, deliberately not looking at her, as if she weren't worth his attention. "You heard me. Don't come back. I need people around me that I can trust, not some sneaky little liar that is trying to shut me up by using sex."

"Excuse me! I wasn't trying to shut you up. And for the record, you were the one with your hand on my leg." Melanie felt her anger rise as he continued to talk to her in a condescending tone.

"Do you always practically straddle your patients? Is that some new form of alternative medicine?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're a bastard. A spoiled little bastard that is sitting there pouting because he can't get his way."

"Stop treating me like a child. I need to know what happened to me."

"I told you I have nothing to say."

"Get the hell out. I don't want you as my nurse anymore."

A chill ran through Melanie's body at his words. She knew he was just frustrated and upset because he was shocked, but something about his tone put her on edge. It was so impersonal, detached, as if she didn't mean anything to him at all.

"Are you firing me?" she asked her face reddening in anger.

"You got it. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out," he said turning away from her dismissively.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" asked Melanie placing her hands on her hips. He was really starting to tick her off. He hadn't been this nasty to her since they went head to head over the alternative fuels project at Titan. "You can't fire me."

"I'm Philip Kiriakis, I can do whatever I want." His blue eyes went cold as he stared her down, his ruthless streak coming out. "One word from me and you're out of job."

Melanie never backed down from a challenge and he definitely was giving her one now. There was no way in hell she was going to let him intimidate her into doing anything.

"I'm not going anywhere. You need me."

"Nurses come a dime a dozen. I can throw some money on the ground and ten nurses would run to pick it up. Anyone off the street could do your job," he scoffed.

"You think another nurse would put up with this bullshit from you? No one can handle you the way I can."

"You act like I'm some sort of problem patient. I've been a breeze."

"Oh really? And what is this right now? So you aren't freaking out because you think you've been rip van winkling it for almost a year?"

"I'm not freaking out. I just want to know what's going on. How long have I been here?"

"I told you. I have nothing to say. So stop asking."

"Fine," he said running his hands roughly through his cropped brown hair. "Go get the doctor."

Melanie shook her head. "Not until you calm down."

"I said get my doctor. You can't deny me medical treatment," he demanded again, his hoarse voice actually sounding stronger the longer he talked.

"I'm here if you need anything." She plopped down in the chair, crossing her legs in feigned nonchalance. In actuality, every cell in her body was on fire, she was so mad, she wanted to smack him. What right did he have to speak to her this way?

"Get your ass out of that chair and do what I tell you."

Melanie saw something flash in Philip's eyes. It was almost as if he were enjoying this. But she wasn't going to let him get off on some power trip at her expense. She was too stubborn for that.

"Who do you think you're ordering around Philip?" asked Melanie her eyes narrowing at him in anger. She really was dealing with this all wrong, in fact she probably would get fired on the spot if a doctor saw her goading a patient in this manner. But this was Philip, and he was being a jerk. No matter how wrong it was, she couldn't let him get away with it.

"I swear to God if you don't get up…" Philip was so angry he couldn't finish his sentence. Melanie could see the tension in his whole body. She really needed to get control over the situation before he hurt himself. She tried to change her tactic.

"Relax and change your tone and maybe I'll help you," she said deliberately forcing her voice to sound calm. She examined her nails casually, glancing over at him occasionally just to make sure he was getting the message that she wasn't going to take his crap.

"You know what? I don't need some skinny little redhead running my life. I can do it myself. I'm going to get some answers, but first I'm going to put you out of my room."

"I'd like to see you try," she said daring him as they stared each other down.

Philip's face contorted into a scowl, he was receiving her message and he didn't like it, Melanie knew that look so well. He suddenly threw back the covers, and started easing himself over to the edge of the bed.

"Philip what are you doing? Stop that! Get back in bed," said Melanie jumping to her feet. She tried to stop him with her hands, pushing him back in the bed, but he slapped her hands away with every approach.

Philip put one foot on the floor, shaking as he tried to drag his other leg over. The alarms on his monitors started blaring as one of his catheters became disconnected. Melanie slid her body under Philip's catching him before he hit the floor. Even in his much leaner state, Philip was still too heavy for Melanie to maneuver. She tried to reach for the nurses' desk call button, but couldn't stretch far enough to grab it while holding on to him.

"Help! I need some help in here!" she yelled, trying to shift Philip back into his bed. He had collapsed fully in her arms, his body weight sagging against her. His lids fluttered as he struggled to remain conscious.

"You gave us quite a scare sweetheart," said Kate as she leaned over and stroked Philip's cheek from her seat on the edge of his bed.

"Son, what was all this nonsense about getting out of bed?" asked Victor from his chair.

Both Kate and Victor had rushed over to the hospital when Melanie called them and told them about Philip's attempt to get out of bed. She had hoped that having his parents around would help to keep him calm, as crazy as that seemed, considering his parents were not the calming types.

"Ask her," said Philip pointing at Melanie as she walked further into the room. "She's the one that started it."

"Melanie what's he talking about?" asked Victor.

Melanie sighed. "Philip threw a fit when I accidentally said he was in a coma for nine months."

She hovered by the wall where the television was mounted, not wanting to set Philip off again by getting too close. A safe distance seemed the best choice. She could see everyone in the room from her spot, but was still far enough removed from Philip.

"I asked her to explain that statement and she wouldn't. I won't tolerate people coddling me dad."

Philip had pushed the sleeves up on his blue pajamas. He was sitting upright again, looking very alert. That nap must have rejuvenated him. If it weren't for his extremely thin appearance, he would've looked just like his old self.

"And you shouldn't. The doctors be damned. What she said was true. You were in a coma for nine months," stated Victor matter of factly.

"So this was because of the crash?" asked Philip looking back and forth at his parents.

"You had extensive internal injuries and head trauma," said Melanie from her spot in the corner.

"I didn't know I was so bad." Philip shook his head in disbelief, staring down at his lap. "I remember being huddled under a blanket waiting to be rescued. Everything was fine besides the fact I damaged my prostheses. "

"We'll have to get you fitted with a new one," said Victor patting Philip's arm reassuringly.

"Wait, what about Bo?" asked Philip suddenly. "He was in a bad state."

"I'm fine Philip," said Bo as he entered the room, and walked over to stand next to the chair Victor was sitting in. Melanie had called Bo too. She need all the reinforcements she could get to keep Philip calm and in bed.

"Bo, you're okay." A look of relief flashed over Philp's face. It struck Melanie as odd that Philip seemed so concerned about his brother. Had he heard Bo's guilt ridden words during his visit? "You look great actually."

"Thank you," said Bo with a confused smile.

"How's Hope?" asked Philip.

"She's good," replied Bo still looking a bit perplexed.

"Tell me the truth and I promise I'm not making trouble, but are Claire, Belle and Shawn all right?"

Bo blinked once before responding, clearly shocked by Philip's question. "Yes they're good, still traveling the world together," said Bo. "They check in with me now and again, to see how you are."

"I'm so relieved. How are Steve and Kayla, John and Marlena?"

Bo quickly glanced at Melanie, raising his eyebrows. "All are fine."

"Good to hear. Was I the only one hurt this badly?"

"You got the brunt of it," answered Bo quickly, fidgeting with his collar, looking like suddenly his shirt felt too tight.

"What happened? How did things get so bad? I could've sworn I was feeling okay."

"Well uh…" Bo faltered seeming not sure how to proceed. Melanie wanted to speak up for him, to shield him from this moment. It was the one thing that Bo feared most, having to tell Philip about the accident.

"We can discuss details later, son," said Victor stepping in, saving Bo from the unpleasant explanation. "One step at a time."

"What about Chloe?" Philip had avoided looking at her the entire time, but he deliberately looked at Melanie when he asked that question. Peering at her expectantly, as if she could offer some clues.

"What about her?" asked Victor sharply, the distaste evident in his voice.

"I just talked to her on the phone earlier and she seemed fine, a little strange but I figured that was just me not being able to speak properly and being on speaker. Is she really okay? Or was that something else that was being withheld from me?" he asked shooting a pointed look at Melanie. Melanie squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Chloe should be the last person you're concerned about. How could you even ask about her right now?" asked Kate appalled, gesturing toward Melanie with her hand.

"She was right there with me, waiting to get rescued. If something went wrong with me I need to make sure nothing happened to her too. Maybe she was injured worse than we thought."

"What do you mean Chloe was with you?" asked Victor looking at Philip strangely.

"At the crash site. We were in the same tent. I know you don't like her dad, but she's my friend and …"

"What crash site?" asked Victor cutting him off.

"Uh, the plane crash. What we've been talking about this whole time."

"You weren't in a plane crash. You were in a car accident," said Victor.

"What in the world are you talking about?" asked Philip confusion all over his face. "Of course I was in a plane crash. We were coming from Ireland after visiting Shawn Brady's sister…oh my God Bo." Philip looked over at Bo, his eyes clouding with concern. "Your dad. He didn't make it."

"That's right Philip. Pop passed away on that flight," Bo said quietly.

"I'm so sorry Bo."

"Thank you." Bo paused cocking his head to the side. "Philip, what year is it?"

"2008. I mean I think it still is. Let me do the math," he said physically counting on his fingers. "Nine months onto February, yeah it's still 2008. Was that some sort of a test?" Philip asked smiling.

"In a sense," Bo replied with barely a hint of a smile. "So you don't remember being in a car accident?"

Melanie swayed unsteadily on her feet, holding onto the wall to keep her balance. She let herself slowly sink down to the floor, squatting in the corner, her fist balled in her mouth to keep from screaming. The whole conversation was happening in another dimension, it was playing out in front of her, but her mind kept screaming it was fiction. It just couldn't be true. He couldn't have forgotten it all, forgotten her.

"Why do you keep talking about a car accident? The plane went down. You were there Bo."

"Philip, I don't know how to tell you this." Bo began slowly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he pulled together his words.

"Maybe we shouldn't Bo," interrupted Kate.

Kate had been uncharacteristically silent, sitting back against the footboard of the bed, watching it all play out. From time to time, Melanie caught Kate giving her sideways glances, monitoring her reactions. Melanie guessed everyone in the room was waiting for her to collapse, to fall apart in a puddle of tears. That wasn't going to happen. The urge to cry had left her body, in fact she wasn't feeling much of anything.

"He has the right to know," stated Bo.

"But the doctors…" warned Kate.

"To hell with the doctors," interjected Victor. "I agree with Bo. I won't keep my son in the dark."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Philip looking from one person to the next trying to make sense of their little debate.

"Philip that plane crash happened in 2008," said Bo.

Philip gave Bo an odd look. "I know. I just told you that." Philip's patience was starting to wear thin. Melanie could hear the annoyance creeping into his voice.

"It's 2011," Bo explained. The air went still, as everyone held their collective breaths, watching Philip's reaction.

Philip's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"You were in a car accident nine months ago, and that's why you were in a coma," said Victor bluntly, revealing what everyone was so hesitant to say.

"I don't understand. How can it be 2011?" Philip shook his head vigorously, as if he were physically trying to make things in his head fall into place. "I clearly remember the plane crash."

"I know, but it seems like you've forgotten everything else," said Victor. "Everything that has happened since."

"You expect me to believe this?" asked Philip frowning. He shoved his hands through his hair in frustration. "I have just forgotten years of my life?"

"Three years to be exact," Bo stated.

"This is a joke. You're making it up." He searched his mother's face for some sign.

"We're not sweetie. It's true," said Kate. Melanie could tell Kate was crying, the tears were choking her voice, making her words sound thick and slurred.

Melanie watched through the metal slats in the footboard as Philip recoiled from everyone in the room. He was confined to his bed, leashed by his network of catheters and tubes, but he tried his best to back away, even if he could only move a few inches. He crossed his arms over his chest, curved his legs up into his body, turning his back to them all, to stare at the wall.

"I don't believe you. I couldn't have lost years. Not years," he said shaking his head, his back still turned to them.

"Philip…" said Kate reaching out to comfort him. Philip flinched away from her, not wanting to be touched.

"Where's my little nurse?" he asked, his rough voice breaking with emotion. "I need her."

All eyes shifted to Melanie crouched in the corner by the foot of the bed. She slowly stood up, holding onto her churning stomach, and walked over to the side of the bed, easing past Victor's knees to stand in front of Philip. He reached behind him, opening his hand, beckoning her to grab it. Melanie tentatively placed her small hand in his, closing her fingers around his palm.

He rolled over, looking up at her, trapping her with his blue eyes. "Tell me what year it is."

"It's 2011, Philip. February 2011." He squeezed her hand tightly as she said the words, as if he were trying to transfer some of his pain to her. Melanie wished she could take it all away. It was her fault this was happening. He now had not only lost months, but years because of her actions.

Philip shook his head in disbelief, tearing up as reality set in. Melanie stepped in front of him, blocking his face from the view of his family.

"I think we need to give him a moment," said Melanie addressing the room.

"I'm not leaving him like this, after all we just told him," declared Kate from the end of the bed. She hadn't tried to touch Philip again but her concern registered all over her face.

"Let's just do what she says," urged Bo heading toward the door, Victor close behind.

Kate sighed heavily as she rose to her feet, giving Melanie one last look before glancing at her son. With another sad sigh and a toss of her hair, she turned to leave with the others.

Melanie let go of Philip's hand and started to follow everyone out of the room.

"Wait," Philip called out hoarsely. Melanie looked back. He had his head in his hands, covering his face. "Can you stay?"

Melanie nodded and took a seat in the chair next to his bed. They sat silently for a few minutes, Melanie on the edge of the chair, hands in her lap. Philip slouched in his bed, hands over his face.

"I've lost years," he finally said glancing over at her with red rimmed eyes.

"You haven't lost them. They're just mixed up in your head somewhere."

Melanie tried to think of a joke, a little quip, to lighten the mood, but her mind was blank. Wasn't much humor to be found in their situation. Philip was adrift, swimming in confusion, searching for lost memories. And Melanie was just plain wrecked, abandoned and alone, forgotten on some deserted shore in his mind.

"They feel gone, like they're never coming back." He leaned his head back into his pillow, closing his eyes. He looked so young in that instant, like a scared little boy wandering lost in the dark.

"You felt gone while you were in a coma, and you came back." Philip opened his eyes, attempting to smile.

She had worried he would wake up and not feel the same about her, that somewhere in the abyss of his coma, the love he felt would disappear. Melanie had hoped against it, trying to believe in the promise of second chances, but deep down she knew she had lost the right to be with him the night of the accident, when she let him think she didn't want him anymore. She clung to her anger, ignoring his pained pleading, his declarations of love. She had killed his hopes that night, so it seemed only fitting that that he killed her from his memory, erasing every trace of her and all the pain she had caused.

Once again she was nothing and Melanie stepped back into that role with surprising ease. It had always been waiting for her anyway, this place for the discarded. Philip would have eventually come to his senses and moved on to a more worthy mate. She was kicking herself for even thinking it would end up any other way, for letting herself believe that their love was something special, something solid, something that would last. Nothing good every lasted, not for her.

Melanie could see the tears in his eyes, the slight quiver of his lower lip, he was barely holding it together. He looked like she felt. Like a sudden earthquake had hit, knocking everything off balance. Nothing seemed right. Everything was leveled, leaving them destroyed, staring at the wreckage.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked. If nothing else, she still was his nurse.

Philip shook his head, unable to answer. Melanie got up from her chair and moved toward the bed, tentatively at first, as if she were approaching a scared animal. He looked up at her, almost seeming startled to find her standing so close. Melanie's heart twisted as she watched him fight back the tears that were trying to fall.

"It's going to be okay," she said wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "I swear it is going to be okay."

At first he remained stiff in her arms, allowing her to hold him, but not touching her back. Then she felt Philip shift closer, his arms spanning around her waist, pulling her in tighter, burying his face into her neck. She felt the warmth of his tears as they dampened her skin. She rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to hold him, finally letting her own tears fall.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Philip's head was pounding, a constant throb, that felt like a heart beat in his brain. His throat was sore too, raw and stinging with every swallow. He knew he had done too much today, over exerted himself, pushing his body further than it was ready to go. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, he wasn't going to sit back and let everyone keep lying to him. Technically, not lying, but definitely withholding, and that felt almost as bad. It made him feel like a child, as if they thought he was unable to deal with the circumstances of his life. Philip may be weakened, but he wasn't fragile. How dare they treat him like he would break from even the slightest news?

He looked over at the small young woman sleeping in the chair beside his bed. She had curled herself into a little ball, pulling her feet under her, head resting on her arm. Strange that the one person he felt most comfortable around at the moment was a complete stranger. Or maybe not so strange, since the fact that she didn't know him was the reason he felt more at ease. His family, soon everyone, would know that he had lost his memories of the past three years. He would be faced with pitying stares and unspoken condolences for his misfortune. Philip had been there before, when he lost his leg, he couldn't bear it again. Nothing was worse than being treated like some poor pathetic freak that had to be tip toed around and coddled. Philip hated to be coddled. He was a man, a Kiriakis at that. He was strong and he could handle anything, he didn't need his feelings pampered, he needed, no he demanded to be dealt with straight up.

He had accused his nurse of coddling him. Philip cringed as he recalled the harsh words he unleashed on her earlier in the day. He had been so angry that she wouldn't tell him the truth about his coma, that he lost it, and had taken it out on her. Big time. But thinking back on it, he realized she never really coddled him at all. Quite the contrary actually, she always dealt with him like he was a whole man, not some chump stuck in a bed. He had actually liked that about her. He looked over at her again, her red hair in disarray, coming out in sprigs from her loose ponytail. Her face was splotchy, probably from crying. Why had she been crying? A wave of embarrassment washed over Philip as he remembered the way he broke down in front of her. He didn't understand why he felt it was safe to do that with her, to freely let all of his pain out, to place it all on her shoulders. Maybe it was because she was his nurse, and that was her job, to manage his pain. Whatever the reason, he was glad she was there. He couldn't face his family yet, but he didn't want to be alone either.

She twitched in her sleep, her head rolling from side to side. "Don't let go," she called out.

Philip didn't know if he should wake her. She had been making noises and talking in her sleep the entire time. He had just watched, curious about what could be making her so upset in her dreams. She seemed so sweet, so upbeat, fun loving. A girl like her should be dreaming about rainbows, days at the beach, boy bands, but something had her spooked. It was strong and relentless, whatever it was, wouldn't let her sleep in peace.

Just as Philip had decided to wake her, she sat up abruptly, looking around disoriented.

He thought she was going to ask where she was, instead she said, "Have you been watching me sleep? Are you staring at my drool?"

"Staring, pointing, a little laughing." He thought it best to keep it light, things were weird enough between them already, so much had happened in just a short span of time he didn't need to reveal he had been watching her.

She rolled her blue eyes in his direction. "How are you doing?" she asked sitting up straighter in the chair. She went to smooth her hair, but gave up halfway, bringing her hands back down to her lap when she saw him watching her.

"I'm doing okay, all things considered." He glanced over at her quickly, just to check for any sign of pity on her face. There was none.

"Had I been sleeping long?" she asked rubbing her eyes groggily. "I usually don't do that."

"Do what?" he chuckled. "Sleep?"

"Yeah," she said looking down shyly.

"Don't you have any help?" he asked trying to get comfortable in his pajamas. The sleeves kept falling down over his hands. He hated that.

"Help?" she asked, a confused expression on her face.

She looked tired, dark circles under her sunken in eyes. She was so thin, frail looking, as if a gust of wind could lift her away. So tiny with so much spunk. Philip still couldn't believe how she stood up to him, not giving an inch, even when he threatened her job. He was impressed with his little nurse.

"With your son? I know infants can be a handful. Doesn't your husband pitch in?"

"Parker's a good baby." She smiled softly, as if she were seeing the baby in her mind. "He's not big on sleep, but then again neither am I, so we get along," she giggled, seeming a bit nervous.

"How old is he anyway?" Philip adjusted his pillows and turned to his side to face Melanie.

"Almost five months." She pulled her feet up on the seat resting her chin on her knees.

"He's a big boy. Does he take after your husband? I mean since you're so small."

"I'm average height actually," she responded her voice fading as she buried her face into her knees, only the top of her head visible.

"So if he's five months old that means you were working with me while you were pregnant. Did you get a maternity leave or anything? I know mothers like to have time to bond with their babies before…"

"Philip how's your throat feeling? Your voice seems a little more hoarse now." She leaned over and felt his glands, switching into work mode. Philip suspected his questions were making uncomfortable. Not that it made any sense. New moms loved to gush about their babies.

"Abrupt subject change," he said pulling away from her hands. "Was I being too nosey?"

"I just don't like talking about myself."

She had striking blue eyes, pretty, not like Chloe's, where he sometimes had to catch his breath when she looked at him, but something about his nurse's eyes drew him in. Philip couldn't put his finger on it, but it was almost like she was hiding something behind them, if he looked deeper he would unlock whatever secrets she kept. He must be really bored, searching for adventure in the eyes of his nurse. Philip pulled himself away, focusing on the colors of the quilt covering the bed instead.

"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but you just witnessed one of the most painful moments of my life. A little reciprocity wouldn't kill you. Evens the field a bit."

"I guess that's fair," she agreed slowly. "What do you want to know?"

Philip paused momentarily trying to decide what it actually was he wanted to know. He had started the conversation to break the ice, to ease the weird tension that had settled over the room. He had thought things would flow naturally, instead it had felt like he was pulling teeth trying to draw her out.

"Tell me something about yourself. How long have you been married?"

"It's coming on a year."

"Newlyweds? You didn't waste any time, started a family right away." Philip couldn't help but envy her a bit. She had the life he always wanted, a home and a family, something Philip felt would forever remain just beyond his grasp.

She shrugged. "Time's precious, don't you think?"

He let out a deep breath. "I'm starting to realize just how true that statement is."

Her eyes widened, as she sat up straighter in her seat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to go there, bringing that back up."

"It's not like I haven't been thinking about it this whole time. Hard to forget, losing three years of my life."

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. I wanted you to have an easy recovery." She shifted uneasily in her seat, moving around, as if she couldn't find a comfortable spot.

"Could be worse. I could still be in a coma or dead."

"You almost were," she said, her voice cracking with sadness.

"That bad?" he asked his heart lurching when he turned to see her tear filled eyes. He must have been really bad off to make a nurse react that way.

"You scared us all. Your family was terrified you weren't going to make it."

"Hard to picture. They're a pretty cold hearted bunch."

"I think it's just a cover. They love you a whole lot."

"Sounds like you got to know them pretty well."

It just hit him how nice his parents had been to Melanie whenever she was around. They almost seemed fond of her, which was ridiculous because his parents never wasted time caring about the help. They often criticized him for his friendly interactions with staff, saying it made him look weak, like a pushover. Philip just couldn't manage to be so cold. He got to know people who worked for him and naturally cared about their lives.

"They were here a lot visiting you. Your parents rushed right over when I called them earlier."

"Why did you call them? Because I got out of bed?"

"Because you were asking questions. I thought they should be here."

"Thank you for calling them."

"No problem. Sort of my job, looking out for you, at least it used to be. I guess you sort of fired me." Her voice hitched as she spoke and Philip's gut twisted even worse. It was as if she took it personally.

He guessed he couldn't blame her, no way she could've known that he was prone to fits of temper, where he'd say and do things he usually later regretted, and wished he could take back. He had fired his assistant Katrina numerous times in the months she had worked for him. Philip suddenly remembered it hadn't been months. It had been years. Katrina had probably stopped being his assistant years ago. She probably had finally quit, weary of his tirades. Philip didn't even know if he had still been working for Titan, maybe he had left, took up a new career path, maybe he wasn't even living in Salem at all at the time of the car accident. He couldn't remember anything. So many maybes.

"I feel really bad about that. I had no right to do that, to say those things to you." He tried to catch her gaze, but she seemed to be avoiding him, her eyes flitting about the room.

"Nothing I haven't heard before."

"Well it's unacceptable. Patients don't have the right to verbally abuse their caregivers."

"It's hard being sick, feeling helpless and afraid. Nurses have pretty thick skins."

His mind flashed to earlier when she hugged him. She'd been so sweet trying to comfort him. It felt like she truly cared. He marveled at how someone so small could feel so strong, as she offered her shoulder and caressed his back.

"So why were you crying?"

He hadn't meant to ask her but the words just slipped out. It had struck him to see her crying earlier, her tears still flowing, long after he had pulled himself together. At first, he chalked it up to the sentimentality of females, or hormones, but now he wasn't so sure. Something in the way she looked at him, the sadness she exuded from every aspect of her body, led him to suspect something deeper was troubling her.

"I was upset for you. I don't like to see you in pain. That's my curse, I care too deeply for my patients." She was tearing up as she spoke, her eyes shining.

Her sad blue eyes beckoned him, drawing him into their watery depths. A sudden urge to comfort her overtook him and he had to forcibly resist, reminding himself that she wasn't the one hurting. She was merely reacting to his pain.

"I have to say, I like being cared for by you. You make me feel special like I'm your only patient."

"I'm a nurse, that's what we do."

He nodded. "You need a bonus. I don't know how much my father's paying you but he needs to double it."

"I'm not in it for the money."

"I didn't even ask if you work for the hospital or if you work for me, like as my private nurse."

"I'm all yours."

Their eyes locked. She seemed to be reaching for something, searching his eyes, almost a pleading. It was disconcerting and Philip had to look away, feeling suddenly uncomfortable.

"That explains why you're around so much. How long have you worked for me?"

"I've been here since the beginning, when you first arrived," she replied getting up from the chair and walking over toward the window. She was almost out of his eye line, Philip had to strain his neck to see her.

"Wow. So you've been watching over me this whole time?"

"Something like that." Her back was to him, as she continued to look out of the window.

"It's kind of nice knowing you were with me all this time. It's comforting."

"Well you've got me until the end," she said turning to face him, looking as if she were forcing a smile. "Until you're back on your feet 100%. That is if you want me."

"Oh I want you."Philip groaned inwardly at his poor choice of words. "I mean I want you to stay as my nurse, despite what I said during my rant earlier."

She leaned over the back of the chair, gently rocking herself back and forth, like on a see-saw. "You mean your hissy fit."

"I'm thinking men don't have hissy fits," he said scrunching his nose up at the term.

"Well you sure did. I thought your head was going to spin. And when you tried to get out of bed…"

"Okay, okay," he said raising his hands in surrender. "Let's call it a meltdown. How's that?"

She smiled. "That works."

"I need you to know I didn't mean what I said. I do trust you. I know you were just following doctor's orders when you didn't tell me about how long I was in a coma."

"We were trying to prevent you from having a meltdown."

"I get that now. I just don't like being kept in the dark, even when it's for my own good. I need to know at least one person in my life will always be upfront with me. You think you can be that person?" he asked watching her intently for her response.

"Why me?" she asked her voice sounding shaky. "You don't know me."

"I know enough. I've got good instincts. I feel I can trust you."

"I'll be whatever you need, Philip." She said it so quietly he had to strain to hear her.

"Good. I also need to apologize for something else." He sat upright in the bed, turning slightly so he could face her.

"What's that?"

"All those things I said to you, the suggestive stuff, the flirting. I was out of line there too. I mean you're young. How old are you anyway?" he asked eyeing her up and down. She didn't even look old enough to be a nurse, more like a candy striper.

"Old enough," she responded with a slight roll of her eyes, looking slightly annoyed by the question.

"Right," he said drawing out the word.

She smirked. "Don't worry I'm legal."

"I figured, since you're married. Which is another reason I shouldn't have said those things. I was really disrespectful. It's just that I…" he hesitated unsure whether he should continue.

"What? Finish your thought."

"I thought I picked up something from you. I don't know, a vibe."

Not being one to beat around the bush, he threw it out there, just to see if she would bite. It wasn't that he was looking to start something up with her, that actually was the last thing on his mind, especially after learning about the huge holes in his memory. He had bigger issues to worry about than sex. Although Philip was pretty sure it had been a long time since he had been with a woman, nine months at least, so maybe it was somewhat of an issue for him, just not an urgent one, not yet at least. For his nurse however, it seemed to be a different story. Philip got the impression that she actually was looking to start something, maybe with him.

"A vibe?" she asked, looking at him blankly.

Okay, maybe he was wrong, she didn't seem interested in the least at the moment. Maybe she was just a flirt and used it as a tactic to get patients to relax. Silly of him to assume he was anything special to her. She didn't even know him.

"Yeah, like maybe you were interested. And I know that was completely off base now," he covered quickly. "You were just being friendly, I just took it wrong. You must think I'm the biggest jerk on the planet."

"No I don't." Melanie took a seat back in the chair, smoothing the wrinkles out of her pink scrubs, before crossing her legs at her ankles.

"Come on, really?" he asked raising his eyebrows. "I had you play translator between me and another woman then I proceeded to flirt shamelessly with you. You must think I am some sort of player." He was a little embarrassed thinking about how his actions must have seemed to her.

"I do know your reputation."

Philip frowned. The tabloids must have really done a number on him in recent years. "Don't believe everything you read. I'm actually quite loyal."

"I know you can be. I mean I can sense that about you." He wondered why she seemed so nervous. Something really bad must have been in the papers about him.

"Thanks. Just to set the record straight, Chloe is not my girlfriend. I mean she was, once, a long time ago, but that's over."

"I can tell how much you still care about her."

"I'll always care about her, you know? She was my first love, but I'm not sure the feeling is mutual."

She looked uneasy, fidgeting in her chair. "You don't think she cares? Sounded like she did over the phone."

"I think I am forever friend zoned with her and she sees me as this sad puppy with a perpetual crush."

"So you're not over her."

"I can't imagine ever getting over her. She was my first love, best friend, and dream girl all in one. How do you forget a person like that?"

"Yeah," she trembled, wrapping her arms about herself.

"You're shivering. What's wrong? Are you cold?"

"I just got a chill. Go on. You don't think you have a shot with Chloe anymore?" she asked leaning forward, her hands on her knees.

"I think, to her, I'm just her friend and old boyfriend, can't imagine I'd be more than that after she married my nephew."

"She and Brady broke up."

"You know about that?" he asked very surprised.

"I know Brady very well." Philip looked at her quizzically. Did she used to date Brady? He couldn't seem to picture Brady trolling the Salem University campus looking for love.

"Well even if she did leave Brady, still doesn't change how she sees me. I'm the one she passed over, the one she gave up. Hard to make a comeback from the number two spot." Even after so many years it still hurt to admit that. Philip wondered if he had managed to truly put that pain behind him during his missing three years.

"You don't seem like a number two kind of guy."

Philip just shook his head and smiled. She had no idea about his terrible romantic history. "Believe me I am, with Chloe, with my ex-wife, always the consolation prize."

"Maybe you just haven't fallen for the right person."

There it was again, that vibe. Clearly he was rusty in the attraction deciphering department because he was so off the mark about her, and yet he still couldn't shake the feeling something was there.

"Maybe." He gave her one last look, trying to figure her out, before shifting his gaze away. "Anyway, Chloe's just my friend and I thought we were in a crash together and I was worried. That's why I kept asking about her. Little did I know that years had passed since the plane went down."

Philip's mind drifted back to that cold night of the plane crash. Chest to chest, both naked to generate heat, it had somehow felt right to be in that tent with her, possibly facing their deaths together. The one woman his heart couldn't let go of. It didn't matter that Belle was somewhere nearby cozying up with Shawn, not anymore, not when Chloe had returned to his orbit, blazing into his life, leaving a trail of stardust at his feet for him to follow. And Philip knew he was headed back there, back to her, even when he had enlisted her help to win over Bell. He knew deep down, that Chloe would end up being the one, his ultimate goal.

In some ways she had always been, the one who got away, his first love, lingering and true. It didn't matter that they had been married to other people or that they hadn't seen each other in years, when she turned her blues eyes on him and graced him with her gorgeous smile, it all came rushing back. Who was he kidding? It had never left. To preserve his sanity, Philip maintained a calculated distance from her, keeping contact, but never getting too deep. He had accepted the fact that she had moved on with Brady, but he couldn't bear to see it. He tried to avoid any situations that would put him in blatant contact with that relationship.

"Must be hard adjusting to that." Melanie said, pulling Philip's thoughts back to the present.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," he admitted.

"Give it time. You'll get there," she assured him softly.

"I can't help but wonder about everything I missed while I was in the coma," he said sighing heavily as he leaned back into his pillows, to stare up at the white tile ceiling. "Not to mention all the things I can't remember. I could have a wife and kids somewhere and not know it."

Although, he was pretty sure he wasn't married. If he had been his wife would have been by his side or at least visited by now. Then again if he went by his track record, it could have been completely possible that he was actually married, but to a woman that didn't give a damn. His wife could have already moved on to a new man while he was comatose, probably secretly praying he never recovered. That thought was just too cynical, even for him. If he were married, had a family, he would know it.

"You'll get those missing pieces back. I promise."

"I hope so, because to me its 2008 still. So much could have happened between then and now."

"You could look on the bright side. You get to live your life twice now. Everything will seem new to you. It will be like trying to solve a mystery. Never know," she shrugged. "Could be fun."

He smiled over at her. "You have a really unique way of looking at things Little Nurse."

"My name's Melanie," she said giving him a small smile, that didn't seem to reach her eyes. She looked sad all of a sudden.

"I know. But you're Little Nurse to me," he said softly, smiling at her when she finally looked him in the eyes.

"I better let you get some rest," she said standing up. "I need to head to my class."

"You're still in school?" he asked a little shocked, thinking his father might have pawned a trainee off on him. "I thought you were a real nurse."

"I am a real nurse. These are extra classes."

He relaxed slightly, relieved she was actually qualified to be there with him. "Oh you're one of those overachieving types."

"I suppose."

"I can see that about you. I can tell you're smart."

She ran her fingers through her hair, shaking it out of the ponytail she had it in. "Most people look at me and see a party girl."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Really? I don't see it. I picture you home on a Friday night, head in the books."

She shot him a look. "So you see me dateless? Good thing I'm married then. If your image of me were accurate I wouldn't have a shot at a social life."

"I didn't mean it like that," he laughed. "I'm sure they're tons of guys dying to go out with you. By the size of that rock on your finger, you hooked yourself a real winner," he added gesturing toward her left hand.

She looked down at her hand, running her finger over the rings, a ghost of a smile on her face. "Could be diamonique,"

"I know quality when I see it," he said reaching out, grabbing her hand, pulling her closer to bed so he could examine her rings closer. "The man who put these rings on your finger loves you very much."

"Yes he did," she said snatching her hand away, backing away from him, toward the door. "I really need to go. I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Kiriakis."

Philip chided himself for crossing that line with her again. He hadn't meant anything when he took her hand, but the look of horror on her face could only mean she had taken it all wrong.

Flashing a smile, hoping to put her at ease, he waved slightly. The last thing he wanted was for her to start acting strangely around him. She felt like his only ally in the place. The only person he could talk to openly without reproach. Philip didn't want to lose her as his nurse. He just needed to remember to keep his hands to himself.

"Tomorrow then…Mrs…hey it just dawned on me I don't know your last name."

"I guess you don't," she said over her shoulder as she went out the door.

Philip settled back in his bed, relishing the silence in the room. The company had been great, it kept his mind occupied from more unpleasant things, but now he was ready to think. Not about his memory problems, he wasn't quite ready to tackle that, but about the other thing plaguing his mind. Chloe. He had meant to ask Melanie to help him contact Chloe again. Now that he had his voice back he wanted to talk to Chloe for real. He needed to see she truly was all right. In his mind, they had just escaped a plane crash, their lives were on the line, Philip needed to make sure she survived without any lasting damage. Really, he just needed to hear her voice again.

When he came out of the coma, he could've sworn he heard Chloe, her voice calling his name, urging him to come to her. Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks confusing the past with the present, the jumbled memories misdirecting his thoughts. Days had passed and Philip could still hear Chloe calling out to him, each time he closed his eyes. She had sounded fine on the phone, off singing someplace, she had said. But Philip couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, that Chloe wasn't fine, that she was somewhere calling for him to help her, a place just out of his reach. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

She had made it through class, barely holding it all in, resisting the urge to crawl under her desk and cry. They had the little one piece desk and chair connected thingies in her class, so it wouldn't have been discreet, and it definitely would have garnered way too much attention. Melanie still had to think about appearances. Chloe may have been the center of all the media scrutiny but Melanie still was on their radar. She was the wife of Philip Kiriakis, the media was just as eager to see her reactions to all the turmoil and tragedy that had befallen them this past year. Now that the news had leaked that Philip had come out of his coma, things were only bound to get worse. Victor had tried to protect them from it all, by getting injunctions and making numerous threats to withhold donations and financial support, but when a story this big hits a small town, an invasion is inevitable.

Rushing down the stairs that led from the Nursing School wing of the hospital to the main building, Melanie's head started to spin. Once she reached the bottom landing she leaned her head against the cool white brick wall and closed her eyes, willing the dizziness to stop.

"Melanie. Hey!" Her eyes shot open at the interruption. Stephanie Johnson had popped up beside her on the stairs, looking cheery like a ray of sunshine in a fitted yellow dress.

"Stephanie," said Melanie, attempting to smile weakly, but fearing her face was more likely in a grimace.

"Are you okay? You don't look so good," said Stephanie leaning forward and peering into Melanie's face.

"Just tired," said Melanie instinctively shifting away from the other girl.

Stephanie smiled brightly at Melanie, although something about the way her eyes crinkled made her smile seem less sincere. "So have you seen Nathan?"

"Nathan?" asked Melanie wondering why Stephanie would go there with her, now of all times. "Why would I have seen Nathan?"

Stephanie shrugged, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. "Just figured you might have. He got that fellowship at Johns Hopkins."

"That's great," Melanie smiled. "I knew he could do it."

"Yeah, he has made everyone here so proud. It's great news. Even better news for you right?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Melanie, confused.

"Well with Nathan leaving you won't have to be torn between two lovers anymore. You can pour all your energy into Philip," Stephanie stated, her tone overly upbeat. "That is until the next distraction comes along."

Melanie sighed, bored that once again she was being forced to have a conversation about Nathan. "I've never been torn, Stephanie. I'm fully committed to my husband."

"So do you always write secret love letters on your wedding day to men you have lukewarm feelings for?"

"I don't have time for this," said Melanie pushing past Stephanie and heading down the hall. "I need to get back to Philip."

"Right, you run along Melanie," Stephanie called after her. "Enjoy your big romantic reunion with your hubby. Oh wait you can't do that, can you?"

Melanie stopped in her tracks, and turned back toward Stephanie. "Do you have a point? Or are you just here killing time because you have no life?"

"My point is that with three years erased from Philip's mind makes it pretty hard to have any sort of reunion doesn't it?" asked Stephanie as she walked up the hallway to where Melanie was now standing. "I mean isn't it ironic, that out of all the periods of time that Philip could have blanked out, he chose the one with you in it. It was like he wanted to purposely forget all about you. Must suck huh?"

"You really are a piece of work. How can you stand here and mock what we're going through?"

It had been in his eyes. She realized that now. The same blue that darkened with his moods, staring back at her, blank without depth of emotion. Without recognition. Sure he had laughed and flirted with her, listened to her chatter incessantly, but there had been nothing there. He might have reacted the same way to anyone else, a circus clown, a trained seal, or the television.

"I think Philip will be fine. He'll recover, healthy and strong as ever. He'll find out about Parker, he'll reclaim his life."

"He lost three years. That's not fine," said Melanie, tears starting to sting in the back of her eyes as she thought about how upset Philip was earlier that day.

"I look at it this way. He remembers what's important. His family, his friends, and most of all Chloe, the woman he shares a child with. I think he has all he needs for a bright future. You on the other hand, are totally unnecessary. I don't think he'll lose one wink of sleep when he finds out the only thing important he missed in the past three years is his impulsive decision to marry you."

Melanie gulped down the lump that had formed in her throat. It was hard to deny the truth in Stephanie's statements. Stephanie was right. Melanie was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Who was to say that she wasn't just a blip in his timeline, a love in a long string of others? They were just closing in on being married a year, and most of that year was spent with him in a coma, before that he had cheated and Melanie had planned to leave him. When you laid it all out, there really wasn't much to see.

"You're forgetting one thing Stephanie. If he has forgotten me, then he has forgotten you as well. Your little love affair happened in those three years." Melanie didn't feel like she had a leg to stand on in this fight but she couldn't let it go. No way would she let Stephanie just have the upper hand.

Stephanie snorted, the contempt evident all over her body. "Every time you open your mouth, you further prove how stupid you truly are. Philip and I have known each other longer than three years. He may have forgotten our engagement, but he won't have forgotten me. Can you say the same?"

"You're such a bitch," said Melanie coldly, shaking her head in disgust.

"Resorting to name calling. I must have struck a nerve." Stephanie smirked. "Oh well, off to look for Nathan. Take care." She bounced off down the hall, her brown hair swaying as she walked away.

Finally alone, the rumbling in her stomach started again. The rush of adrenaline from arguing with Stephanie must have kept the queasy feelings at bay for a bit, but they were back full strength now. Bracing herself with one hand on the wall, the other on her belly, Melanie inched herself toward the staff locker room. Steps from the doors, she had to break out into a run, bounding through the doors, flinging herself into a stall, where she quickly purged the meager contents of her stomach. Melanie heaved and wretched over the porcelain bowl for about five minutes, her ribs aching from the force of her movements. Her nose was running, and her face felt hot. She made her way over to the sink and splashed cold water over her head hoping it would help calm her body.

Melanie stared into the mirror above the sink, studying her reflection. Her blue eyes were wide and blood shot, red tingeing the normal whites. She was pale, more than usual, making her freckles stand out like polka dots on her face. She usually tried to cover her freckles, a habit that started in Europe. So many of Trent's "friends" liked the freckles, that Melanie would cake on makeup attempting to cover them up and to somehow make herself less desirable to the men. In Melanie's mind, if the men didn't find her attractive, she wouldn't have to be with them. Sadly that was far from the truth.

Philip had liked her freckles too, the first time he saw them, the night he proposed. She had washed her face before bed, momentarily forgetting that a sheer blue nightie and little girl freckles might be a bad mix. But Philip didn't seem to mind. He said he liked seeing the real her, fresh and natural. He said finally she had stopped hiding from him. And she guessed she had.

Twenty-two freckles he had counted on her face that night, as he stared at her by the glow of the Christmas candles. No one had ever looked at her so closely before. Philip had been the only one that had seen all of her, inside and out, and had never once looked away. He had held her closer the more he saw, until finally he had told her he wanted to keep her forever. Melanie had thought forever sounded like a long time, she had been skeptical he would want her for that long. She had always been discarded and replaced by men once they had their fill. But Philip had made her start to believe in forever, that love could last. He almost had her convinced. Then he woke up and proved her right. Forever was fleeting, and he too, like all the rest, had grown weary of her, and found a way to have her discarded, and probably replaced.

With that thought her stomach churned again and she was back in the stall letting it all go. Her torment hitting the water, with every heave it dulled a bit more, numbing her senses to the pain. Then she was done, relieved and much calmer, and surprisingly dry eyed. She hadn't shed a single tear since she had been with Philip earlier in the day. Where had all her tears gone?

At her locker, after brushing her teeth and changing into her street clothes, jeans and a baby blue tee-shirt, she lingered to look at the photos taped to her locker door, one of Parker, smiling in his crib, and the other of Philip, in a navy suit, with just a hint of a crooked smile on his face. Her two Kiriakis men, they were everything to her, all that she loved, all that she had ever wanted. A family completely her own, finally. But it was all lies, with her borrowed baby, and her barely there husband, Melanie realized she wouldn't have much at all if she were to lose them.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" asked Melanie when she saw her father come through the doors of the locker room, dressed in his usual green scrubs.

"Looking for you. I thought you might need to talk or something," Daniel replied.

Melanie turned back to her locker, pausing a moment to gain her composure, before shutting the door and facing her dad. "I'm fine. Really. You can stop looking at me like that."

"You know I'm worried. Philip's memory loss has to be a lot to take in."

He reached out and stroked her arm, stopping when Melanie didn't seem receptive to his comfort. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to her father, she just didn't want to risk getting emotional now. She had to meet Maggie and Parker, she had to hold it together.

"I'm dealing," she said. "He's out of his coma, doing better, nothing's more important than that."

"It is remarkable and really good news, but that doesn't change the rest of it. How are you doing really?" Daniel asked bending slightly at the knees to look her in the eyes.

"Dad, please, stop worrying," she said moving away from him. She could feel herself starting to crack. "If you should be concerned for anyone it's Philip. It has to be extremely hard for him right now. I'm sure he feels confused and distressed."

"And you don't feel those things? Confused and distressed?" He took a seat on the couch. "Philip doesn't remember you at all."

"I'm sure it's only temporary. He just needs time," she responded, playing with the lock on one of the locker doors.

"You have been singing that same song for months now…time, time time," he said gesturing his arms wildly. "Can we just be honest with each other for a minute here?"

"I am being honest."

"Philip might never recover those memories. What will you do then?"

She didn't want to hear this. What did her father expect her to say? Of course she had been thinking about the fact his memory loss could be permanent, but she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it or she would just fall apart. Memory or not, Philip still needed her to be strong for him.

"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Right now I just have to focus on helping him fully recover."

When Philip had called out for her earlier, taking her hand, pleading for her with tear filled eyes, Melanie knew that no matter what else happened she wouldn't leave him. Philip needed her in his life, to help him through this.

"Maybe it's time you focus on yourself," said Daniel pulling Melanie down on the couch next to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you have spent months on Philip, doing everything for him to get him well, night and day, running yourself ragged. Then you added Parker into the equation, and you have no down time. Your whole life is about Philip."

"Philip is my life."

She looked over at her dad, finally realizing he would never understand, that was she felt for Philip was more real than anything else in her life. Loving him was the biggest and best thing that ever happened to her. Even with all the pain she would never change it.

"Maybe he shouldn't be. You used to have dreams and goals before all of this. What happened to them?" asked Daniel as he put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side.

"I finished school. I'm working. I have a family."

Daniel shook his head slowly. "You finished school to help Philip, you only work taking care of Philip, your family is Philip's family. Where are you in this scenario?"

"Dad…"

"I'm not trying to upset you," he said raising his hands, cutting her off. "I just want to see my baby girl shine." He smiled. "I want you to have the best possible life."

"What if that best life is with Philip? Would you support me then?"

"I support you now. I am telling you all of this, because I love you. I just want you to think about things."

Melanie stood up and walked across the room to lean against the bulletin board filled with course listings and job openings. "With all due respect, I think you're telling me these things because you hate Philip."

"I don't hate Philip."

"Yes you do. You blame him for ruining your life with Chloe. But if you blame him you should be blaming me too. It was my letter to Nathan that started all of this."

"You didn't make Philip and Chloe sleep together." Daniel leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands. He looked upset just from talking about this subject. Melanie knew he tried to cover, but he still was in so much pain.

"Maybe not, but I did something that I knew would set Philip off. I knew if he found out about the letter and Nathan he would do something stupid. I guess I should be glad he only made a baby and didn't end up committing murder." She knew Philip so well. She knew his weaknesses and his hot buttons. Melanie had hit them all when she wrote that letter.

"See that right there is what I have been trying to say. You feel guilty." Daniel got up and walked over to her, grabbing her by both arms, turning her to face him. "Guilty about Parker, guilty about the crash, about all of it, but guilt should not be confused with love. You don't have to keep paying for these imaginary crimes you think you've committed."

"I love him," Melanie said, stepping away.

"Honey I know but…" Daniel started.

"Dad, I love him," she pleaded, looking into his eyes, needing him to understand once and for all.

Daniel looked at his daughter and sighed. "What can I do to make this better?"

"You can just…" The room started to spin and she reached out for the wall to hold herself up, but it was nowhere to be found, she was falling.

"Melanie are you okay?" She heard her father's voice from far away. Her vision blurred as she tried to search for the sound. Melanie stretched out her arm hoping he would grab her hand and catch her.

"I can't breathe. Dad-" she said in panic, as her throat closed and everything went black. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chloe sat in the middle of her bed, legs crossed Indian style as she watched her roommate organize her belongings in the middle of the floor. Iley Plunkett from Evanston, IL, blond hair, brown eyes, age twenty-four with a sister and two brothers. She had been in and out of institutions for years, but it was her first time at the State hospital. She was new too, she had explained to Chloe, overly excited, as if it were their first day of college and not a stay at a mental institution. Iley talked a lot, which was nice for Chloe because she didn't. Nothing was worse than being expected to carry a conversation when you had nothing to say. That would never be an issue with her and Iley. Chloe was sure Iley would find something to feel any lulls in their conversations.

Over an hour had passed and Iley was still unpacking her large suitcase. Chloe didn't realize that patients were allowed to have so much in their rooms. She was given only the option of taking the bare necessities. Maybe it was just an oversight, or maybe Victor had insisted she had the least comfortable experience possible. Chloe wouldn't put it past the old man to stipulate that she have nothing but the clothes on her back, and a strictly bread and water diet.

"Are you married?" asked Iley as she folded her clothes into neat piles.

"Divorced, twice. And recently broken up with my fiancé," responded Chloe, feeling a little embarrassed by her relationship stats.

"So you tried to off him? Your ex-fiancee?" Iley asked the question so nonchalantly, as if she were asking Chloe where she grew up.

"What? I would never try to kill anybody." Thoughts of Carly crept into Chloe's mind, but she quickly pushed them away. That didn't count, she wasn't thinking clearly.

"You had to have tried to kill someone. They stuck you in the killers ward."

"What do you mean, killers ward?"

Iley ran her hand through her pale blond hair as she explained. "Every ward in this place is segregated by crime or mental illness, different levels of security in each section. Here, where we are, is for the murderers."

Chloe's heart jumped in agitation. Where had Victor put her? "There must be some sort of mistake, I'm not a murderer."

"Attempted murderer then?" Iley asked raising one eyebrow.

Chloe shook her heard emphatically. "I think you've got it all wrong. The only person I tried to kill was myself."

"That's a given, we've all done that here at one time or another."

"You tried to kill yourself too?" asked Chloe shocked that apparently suicide was a common occurrence.

Iley shrugged. "Yes, just once. I'm a cutter."

"I've read about that, some say it is like trying to commit suicide slowly."

"Isn't it funny how you become an expert in all that psycho garbage?" she laughed. "I think I should become a therapist after all the time I've spent in sessions. But I'm not a cutter like you think. I'm one of those special cases."

"I don't understand."

"I liked to cut other people," Iley stated flatly, looking Chloe directly in the eyes.

Chloe's eyes widened in alarm. "You don't mean…"

"Yep. It started when I was about fifteen, I used to do it to my little sister. I got shipped to an institution, six months later I was cured."

"So why are you here now?" asked Chloe growing increasingly nervous, something about the way her roommate was staring at her made her uneasy.

"No one is ever really cured. You just learn to manage it all, to try to function. Things got bad for me in college and I started in on my roommate."

"You cut your roommate?" Chloe asked in alarm, easing herself backwards on the bed, until she had hit the wall.

"With a paring knife, little slits in her sleep. She didn't notice at first, thought she was bleeding from nicks from her shaver."

"You cut your roommate and they put you in here with me?"

Chloe's first impulse was to scream for help. There had to be some sort of mistake. She shouldn't be locked up with crazy people and criminals. Then reality set in, that was exactly where she should be. She was one of those crazy criminals.

"I was pretty surprised too. I've been in an out of hospitals for years. They've never given me a roommate. Not that I'm complaining. You seem sweet." Iley smiled at Chloe, showing all of her bright white teeth.

"Oh uh..." Chloe stammered nervously trying to come up with something to say next.

"Don't look so nervous," she chuckled. "I haven't cut in months. Maybe that's why they put me with you, to test my willpower or something."

"But to test you with me?"

"Maybe because you are all high profile, they assumed I wouldn't risk it."

"You know who I am?"

She wasn't sure why she was surprised by that at this point. Once she had been on CNN, her privacy was pretty much shot. Chloe just had hoped that in a mental hospital she would be able to escape some of the stares. No such luck.

"Doesn't everyone? Besides we were both at Salem University psychiatric ward."

"I don't remember seeing you."

"You sort of stayed to yourself, from what I can tell, so I'm not surprised."

"If you knew who I was, why did you ask me about why I was in here?" Chloe asked her defenses shooting up. Maybe her new roommate was a plant working for Victor, someone sent to spy on her, or to make her life even worse. There was no telling how far Victor's influence reached.

"Never fair to assume. We all get to tell our own stories. And if you don't want to tell me the truth, which you clearly don't, then it's on you. I'm not gonna judge you."

"I did tell you the truth."

"Except the part about how you tried to kill your baby," stated Iley shooting Chloe a look, before returning to her clothes.

Chloe started tearing up. Is that how the world truly saw her? Some heartless baby killer that was trying to get away with her crimes? Didn't they see she was trying to protect Parker, not hurt him? Things just went wrong. Chloe knew now that she should have left Parker with Maggie, or taken him to the hospital to be with Philip. Just at the time, the woods seemed the most logical place that Philip would be able to find him.

"That never happened," said Chloe shakily. "Not how you think."

"I understand. I would try to block something like that too. Just be careful around here. Women don't like baby killers."

"I didn't kill him. He's fine." Chloe pulled her knees up to her chest, and rocked herself back and forth slowly on the bed, humming in her mind to block out Iley's words.

"Is he with your parents?" asked Iley raising her voice, as if she knew that Chloe was trying to ignore her.

Chloe eyed her suspiciously. "I thought you knew all about me."

"I haven't been allowed to watch much TV so I'm behind. Last I heard, your baby was with his father's wife, but I figured you'd nip that in the bud."

"Can't do much stuck in the hospital."

"I suppose. If it were my kid, I'd make sure my mom had him. You don't want another woman raising your child."

Chloe definitely agreed with that. She didn't want another woman, namely Melanie, raising her child. Melanie had taken care of Parker long enough. He didn't need to grow anymore attached to her. Thank goodness Philip would be able to take him soon. But it had also occurred to her that Philip would probably be raising Parker with Melanie, and she would be still stuck in the mental hospital. So no matter what happened, Melanie would still be in Parker's life. If Chloe couldn't find a way out of the hospital soon, she would have to call her parents. Melanie may have her good points, but there was no way she was going to have her baby calling that girl 'mommy'. Chloe would die before she let that happen.

"His father will have him soon. He's better now."

"Good. But if you find out that's not the case, and that other bitch still has your baby, let me know. I'll take care of it."

"Take care of it how?" Chloe asked apprehensively, the dread rising as she eyed her roommate on the floor.

"I've got my ways," said Iley with a sinister looking smirk. "I can cut her in places she'll never recover from, just like I did my college roommate."

Chloe's heart pounded as she imagined just exactly where Iley could have made those cuts on her college roommate. Every idea that popped in her mind was utterly disgusting, not to mention painful. Suddenly the door opened and a brunette female aide appeared.

"Chloe, your attorney is here to see you. You'll have to come with me," the aide announced.

"Oh thank God!" Chloe exclaimed as she jumped off the bed and rushed to the door. She couldn't get out of that room soon enough. Iley was creeping her out.

============================================

Through the glass panel in the door, Chloe could see Drew seated at the table, coat on, brown hair combed back, drumming his fingers on the screen of his phone. He had been waiting for her in the stark white closet, turned consultation room that Chloe had been escorted to before when she had talked to Philip on the phone.

"Drew I am really glad to see you right now," said Chloe as she took a seat across from him across the table.

"What's wrong?" asked Drew taking off his charcoal gray blazer and putting in on the table next to them. "You're all flushed."

"The roommate from hell, literally." Chloe didn't want to be too quick to judge, but there was something in Iley's eyes that made her worried. She didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night covered in blood because her roommate decided to take up cutting again.

"Maybe I can try to do something. Get you moved."

"No don't. The last thing I need is special favors. People already know who I am." Never draw attention to yourself, another lesson she learned growing up in orphanages. She couldn't help that her face was plastered all over the news, but Chloe didn't have to set herself apart from the other patients either. Her life at the hospital would go a lot smoother if she just tried to blend in.

"So has it been awful?" Drew asked. Chloe could see the concern in Drew's hazel eyes. He was probably thinking she would breakdown being stuck in this place. He really didn't need to worry. Chloe was determined to make it through this, through all of it, for Parker.

"It doesn't matter. I deserve to be here." She truly did. It was high time she stopped running away from her problems. She needed to face things head on, commit to getting better. Maybe if she had been more receptive to treatment sooner, things never would have gotten this bad. She wouldn't be separated from everyone she knew and loved.

"You didn't deserve this. Victor Kiriakis put you in here."

"Victor never would've been able to if I hadn't given him ammunition." Impulsive, stupid choices put her in this place. She played right into Victor's hands. With each passing day, she realized Victor wasn't even really to blame, she had done it all to herself.

"I've been working on your appeal but I have to say I'm hitting road blocks. What exactly did you do to make Victor so angry with you?" asked Drew as he pulled his Ipad out of his bag, his dark green dress shirt stretching across his broad chest.

Chloe pushed the hair out of her face. "Victor and I go way back. He's pretty much always hated me."

"Because of Philip?" asked Drew, raising one eyebrow.

"And Brady and now Daniel. See I'm screwed," she said sinking in her chair.

It probably wasn't the smartest of ideas to get involved with so many men in the same family. If for no other reason than it gave them all a chance to talk about her behind her back, to compare notes. Not that she thought that Brady, Philip, or Daniel would do that to her. Even with their bad breakups things hadn't deteriorated to the point of mud slinging. Now Lucas, well he was another matter. She could certainly see him trashing her all over the place. Good thing he was still in China, or he would probably be conducting exclusive interviews with the news, to tarnish her image even further.

"I'm not giving up. I've got a meeting with Judge Leery tomorrow," said Drew as he flipped through his files on the screen.

"It won't do any good," stated Chloe feeling discouraged by her situation.

"We've got to try. Victor Kiriakis has been throwing his weight around in this town for far too long. He can't keep getting away with it."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. "This is the second time I've heard you mention Victor like this. You were lying when you said you didn't know him, weren't you?"

"First time I met him, that I can recall, was in court," replied Drew. "Before that I was too young."

Just as she had suspected Drew was hiding something. "You knew him as a kid?"

"My parents have a history with him. Dark and complicated."

"Who are your parents?'

He looked up at her in surprise. "I thought you knew. Shane and Kim Donovan, well my mom is a Brady."

It all finally clicked in her mind. "Oh, Shane, the spy, is your dad. I've heard stories about him."

"Yeah well he and Victor go back so I really could get some sort of dirt to use against Victor from my dad. I'm just reluctant to go to him."

"Because you want to do it on your own?" They had that in common. Neither of them wanted to involve their parents if they could help it.

"Yes. But I won't risk your freedom because of my pride," he assured her. "I'll call him. See what I can find out."

"Don't do that," she said putting her hand on his arm." I think I know a better way."

"Like what?" Drew leaned forward, intrigued.

"You have to go talk to Philip. He's the only one who can convince Victor to back down."

Philip and Victor fought often, but Chloe knew, even if Philip failed to see it, that Victor held his son in high regard. Philip had the power to talk some sense into Victor. All Drew had to do was talk to him.

Drew smiled. "Justin told me he's doing better."

"Yeah he is. He wasn't talking yet, but he was alert."

Chloe looked down at her lap trying to hide her smile. She didn't want Drew to see her reaction to the subject of Philip. It was silly really, everyone knew that Philip was her friend, so it was natural she would care about his health. Somehow, for Chloe things were feeling a bit different now. Her feelings for Philip were transforming, growing stronger, deeper somehow. It felt almost too intimate to share with other people, she felt like she needed to hide, almost as if a change could be seen in her eyes.

"That's great news Chloe, but I think you might have forgotten one thing."

"What's that?" she asked.

"This whole case is about you harming his son," he said slowly. "What makes you think Philip won't agree with his father and think you deserve to be locked up?"

"I know Philip. We've been through so much together. He'll understand that I was sick and I wasn't in my right mind at the time."

Every single time they had made it back. Through heartache, anger, jealousy, she and Philip had always managed to keep their friendship intact. She couldn't believe this time would be any different, especially since it involved their son.

"I hope you're right Chloe. Sometimes when a kid is involved people feel differently. Most of all, never forget Philip is a Kiriakis. They are very protective of their families."

"You say that like you know from personal experience."

"I do, and I just want you to keep your guard up, even around Philip," he warned.

"I appreciate your concern but Philip is the one Kiriakis we don't have to worry about. Oh and Brady, but you already know that."

"Know about Brady?" He scratched his head, looking quite confused.

"Yeah I'm sure you've talked to him a lot since he's the one that hired you."

"Brady didn't hire me, Chloe. I don't work for him."

"You don't? Then who's paying for my legal bills?"

This didn't make any sense, if Brady wasn't helping her who could it be? Nicole didn't have any money, and there really was no one else she could call a friend in town. Her mind instantly went to Philip, but that was impossible, since he was comatose when it all happened.

"Oh I almost forgot," announced Drew abruptly, scrolling rapidly through on his tablet." Maggie wanted me to show you these." He turned the Ipad so Chloe could easily see the screen.

She flipped through picture after picture of her happy baby boy. "Look at my Parker."

"She told me she took these the other day," said Drew.

"Did you see here?" she asked pointing to the picture on the screen. "He's wearing a 'I love my mommy' shirt. This was so sweet of her. Please thank her for me."

Their hands grazed as she handed him back his Ipad, a gentle crackle of electricity went through her body causing her to shudder slightly. It had been weeks, months actually without much human contact. Kind hugs and pats on the arm, couldn't compensate for not having anyone to touch her that truly cared. Not that Drew actually cared about her on a personal level, Chloe would never assume that, but it felt nice to be touched by a man, even accidentally.

"I will." He smiled, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "She's pulling for you."

"I've got to get home to my little boy. Promise me you'll talk to Philip."

"If I can get in to see him, security has been tight. They're not letting just anyone get into his room."

"You'll find a way."

"It's worth a shot at any rate. So we've got a few more minutes before they kick me out. Do you want to stay here with me, or go back to your room?" he asked a smile playing on his lips as he stared at her awaiting her response.

"Oh stay with you. Definitely. Why would I pass up the chance to hang out with an attractive young man?" she asked smiling.

"I guess I should feel flattered, but something tells me you just want to avoid your roommate."

As nice as it was to be with Drew, her thoughts gravitated toward Philip, that morning, clinging to her hand, a moment that she never would forget. Amazing as that experience was, Chloe couldn't help but long for more. She wanted Philip to hold her hand, and mean it. She wanted him to touch her and be conscious that he was doing it. And more than anything, she wanted him to hold her, to take her in his arms and tell her things would be okay. He would rub her back, stroke her hair, look deeply in her eyes and make her believe that some good was just around the corner, because he was there, and he was never leaving again. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

There should be 'do not disturb' signs for hospital patients, same as hotel guests have, but neon, to keep the doctors at bay. Pretty much as soon as his nurse had left, the team of doctors had appeared. Barging in, throwing him fake pleasantries, placing their cold hands on his body. And Philip had to lie there and take it. That was the biggest indignity of all, he had no choice. The doctors were calling the shots and if they decided on more tests, then more tests it was. Philip was trying to be a model patient. Trying to cooperate, answering all of their questions in the hopes it would garner his release sooner, although, things didn't look promising on that front. He was too weak to hold anything heavier than a book. And walking? Not a chance. Even if he did have a new prosthetic leg, he didn't think he could balance himself enough to keep steady. His head was continuously spinning whenever he kept his eyes open, and since he apparently he had his eyes closed for months, shutting them for any other reason than sleep was not happening. Philip could deal with a little dizziness and blurred vision.

Dinner time must have been approaching, not that Philip was even allowed solid foods. Apparently they didn't trust him to swallow properly, even though he seemed to be able to swallow that lick of frosting pretty well. But Philip suspected that it was meal time for the rest of the citizens of Salem, because his doctors finally scurried off rumbling about reservations and drinks. Must be nice to be able to just up and leave, to go to dinner, meet a friend, or just go home. Philip really wanted to go home, to sleep in his own bed, to wear something besides ill fitting pajamas. Then again Philip wasn't exactly sure where home was these days. Did he still have the penthouse? Was he back at the mansion? Or was he living somewhere else entirely? There were so many blanks he needed to fill, but unfortunately no one was talking. His doctors had put a gag order on everyone he knew. No talking about the years he lost, and no discussion of current events. Philip wasn't allowed to watch TV, use a computer, or even talk on the phone. He was starting to feel more like a prisoner and less like a patient.

Maybe he could convince his little nurse to sneak him a peek at SportsCenter or at the Financial Times, she seemed pretty eager to please. With a little coaxing, Philip figured he could have her wrapped around his finger. Then he remembered that big ass ring on her finger, and dismissed the idea all together. Just his luck, he gets stuck with a cute, flirty nurse, who obviously liked him, but who also was very married. Flirting and using his charms was far less effective on a non willing woman. Though Melanie did seem almost willing at times, she had made some very suggestive comments to him over the last few days. It had to be all an act, though. She was a newlywed, and a new mom, no way would she be willing to jeopardize all of that for a patient that didn't have the strength to hold her in his arms. So he had to think of another way to sweet talk his little nurse. Maybe he could bribe her with extra paid leave. She looked like she could use a vacation. She had that frazzled mom look, but worse. Philip remembered how tired Belle used to get from taking care of Claire. She would be worn out, but so happy, because every lost minute of sleep was being spent with her child. It was good tired. That's how Melanie seemed, good tired, but to the extreme. The girl needed a break and Philip could make sure she had one, right after she helped him get to Chloe.

There was a tap at the door. Philip turned his head toward the sound. Then a head popped in, blurry, but Philip thought he could see a smile.

"Lucas?" asked Philip squinting toward the door. "Is that you?"

Lucas walked into the room shutting the door behind him. Jeans and a tan sweater, his brown hair grazing his shoulders and a huge grin, came into focus as he approached.

"Ah yeah, do I look that different?" he asked.

"No just a little fuzzy. I can't believe you're here." Lucas grabbed Philip's shoulder and shook it, their manly version of a hug.

"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner," he grinned. "Couldn't get a flight out." Lucas leaned against the chair by the bed, but didn't sit in it.

"Of prison?" asked Philip.

"Prison?" He laughed. "No from Hong Kong. I haven't been in jail for years." His voice trailed off. Then he said, "Oh I forgot."

"Yep," Philip smiled sheepishly. "I got a few holes in the brain."

"You always had that problem, a few screws loose, probably some missing," said Lucas as he playfully knocked Philip in the bed with his fist. Philip laughed as he tried to dodge his blows.

"Very funny. Laugh at my anguish."

"That's what brothers are for. So how are you otherwise?" he asked returning to his spot against the chair. "You look great. Webcam does not do you justice."

"Webcam?" asked Philip.

"Mel used to Skype with me and put you on webcam so I could see you and talk to you."

"While I was in a coma?"

It seemed so bizarre to think of his friends and family just sitting next to him while he was in that state. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for them. Maybe like a big wake except he wasn't really dead.

"Melanie thought that you might be able to hear us talking to you and respond."

Philip smiled shaking his head. "I can't believe the little nurse did all that. She went above and beyond."

"She was always getting these crazy ideas from those seminars and classes."

"Classes? So you mean the class she is taking right now was for me?"

"I think so." Lucas nodded. "She was pretty dedicated to finding a way to bring you around."

"I hope my dad is at least paying for her tuition. She's like the model employee. We need to double, no make that triple her salary."

Were nurses really this dedicated? It didn't seem normal that Melanie had taken such a profound interest in him while he was comatose. Philip was starting to feel suspicious. Maybe she had ulterior motives and was looking for a meal ticket or some leverage to use against his family. No one did this much for no reason.

Lucas snickered. "How about giving her half your net worth?"

"Let's not take it that far. It's not like she's my wife," Philip chuckled. "Seems like you know her pretty well." He stopped himself short of asking Lucas about his nurse's background. If she was doing something underhanded, he needed to feel her out more, so he wouldn't tip her off.

"I do. She's a cool girl. I think of her like family."

"Like family?" This was getting weirder by the minute. His whole family seemed to know her and even like her. It just wasn't how things happened in his world. His family was too jaded to just embrace random strangers, especially not employees. "Wow she must have really charmed you. Did she get all flirty with you too?" Philip glanced at Lucas sideways, trying to gauge his reaction.

"I can't say she has. I don't think I'm her type." Nothing. Lucas seemed to genuinely like the girl.

"She got really friendly with me, not that I'm complaining, but she is married," said Philip letting his guard down a little. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Yes she is. So what's the last thing you remember?" asked Lucas changing the subject.

"Being at the plane crash site in a tent with Chloe."

They almost had sex that night, but that wasn't what Philip remembered most. It was the way she had accepted him. How she didn't flinch when she saw his leg. She made him feel whole again, like he still had something to offer, he still could be worth something, maybe even to her.

"With Chloe?" asked Lucas as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "Now that must have been something."

"Let's just say I think it was a life altering moment. I felt like it was the start of something big. Being stuck in a confined space like that, emotions flare, things rise to the surface. You know?"

"Oh I know," he nodded with a devilish grin. "Stuck in tents, supply closets, elevators."

"Sounds like you've been there." Lucas must have been getting lucky in some pretty tight places by the look in his eyes. Philip knew a sex flashback when he saw one.

"I can certainly relate." Lucas smirked.

"I'm very anxious to talk to her again. I did talk to her on speaker earlier, but that was before I got my voice back. I need to talk to her again, for real this time." Philip adjusted himself more upright in the bed, to get a better view of Lucas.

"How did you to talk to her without your voice?" Lucas asked.

"Little nurse Melanie hooked it up." That was pretty cool of her, maybe she wasn't all bad. She could just be a truly caring and thoughtful person.

"She called Chloe for you?" asked Lucas a shocked look on his face.

"She did. Why are you acting so surprised? I just told you how helpful she's been." Now that look could mean something. Lucas looked like he was going to fall over when Philip had mentioned the call to Chloe.

"So what did Chloe have to say for herself?" asked Lucas making himself comfortable by leaning back against the footboard and putting his feet up on the chair.

Philip shrugged, still feeling like his prior conversation with Chloe left so much unsaid. "She told me she was out of town at a singing gig."

"That's one way of putting it," mumbled Lucas.

"What do you mean?" asked Philip, his eyes slanting as he tried to figure out what Lucas meant by that comment.

"Nothing, just talking." Lucas tried to act casual but Philip wasn't buying it. He was hiding something. "I think I might be jet lagged. I came directly here from the airport."

"I feel honored, but don't tell Sami you came to see me first, she might slaughter you."

"Sami is not an issue. We are no longer together and she has remarried," he stated.

"Not EJ?" asked Philip raising his eyebrows.

"Nope to Rafe Hernandez. He's a nice guy. Allie and Will seem to like him."

"How are the kids?"

"Allie is four and Will is a freshman in college."

"No way. Will is in college?" Philip asked, his mouth gaping in disbelief. "Man I feel old."

"How do you think I feel? My son's practically a grown man. It seems like just yesterday when he was as little as yours." Lucas' eyes widened as he finished his sentence. He started to fidget uncomfortably on the bed.

"Mine?"

"Uh…" Lucas stuttered, quickly avoiding Philip's eyes.

"It's okay. I know I have a son out there. I try not to think about him though because I gave him up."

It was such an awkward subject. Lucas clearly regretted even hinting at it. Philip couldn't blame him. He was sure his brother was probably ashamed of the choice Philip made about his son.

"You made the best choice you could at the time."

Philip sighed, leaning his head back into the pillows. "I wonder about that. I was so proud to be Claire's dad. I would have done anything to keep her in my life, yet I let my own flesh and blood go. What kind of man does that make me?"

"I think that makes you a good dad. You did what was best for both of those kids. You can't beat yourself up over it," said Lucas patting Philip's leg. "And you never know, you might get another shot at fatherhood."

"I wouldn't put money on that. Seems to me I am very single right now. Not a woman has come through that door looking for me," he declared pointing toward the door. "I can't believe that I haven't formed a lasting relationship in all of these years."

"Don't knock bachelorhood. I'm embracing it," said Lucas jumping up to examine the stack of DVDs under the wall mounted TV.

"So no one for you since Sami?"

"I wouldn't say no one," responded Lucas, his back to Philip as he continued to look at the DVDs. "I had some hits and misses."

"Pull up a chair brother and fill me in," said Philip leaning over and patting the chair with his hand.

"I'm not supposed to do that. They want to monitor how much you find out."

Philip frowned. "That's such bullshit. It's my life and my brain. I should be able to determine what I can and cannot handle."

"I think they are just worried you'll pop a blood vessel or something from information overload."

"Whatever," he said dismissively. "I think people just like to control me." It was divine payback for all the ordering around he had done in his life. Now it was his turn to be forced to follow orders.

"You just came back to us. Give it time."

"Can you at least give me a hint at what I missed? A crumb? Something?" He was close to begging. At this point he had no shame, it was getting annoying being in the dark about his own life.

Lucas shook his head. "Mom and Melanie would kill me if I upset you."

"What's up with that anyway? Mom actually seemed like she was being nice to Melanie." His mother wasn't nice to anyone, especially not females. It was like she saw any woman in his life as a threat, even ones he had no romantic involvement with.

"Don't look at me I've been in Asia," said Lucas holding up his hands and backing away. "Mel has been here with you the whole time. I'm sure it counts in her favor with Mom."

Philip decided to try another tactic, the direct route. "Do you know if Chloe ever came by? To visit?"

"I'm pretty sure she has, but like I said, I've been out of the country."

"This is going to drive me nuts. I've just got to talk to Chloe," he said running his hands roughly through his brown hair.

"Man, you just won't let this drop. What the hell happened in that tent?"

"Lucas you don't understand, it was…" he paused, a smile spreading over his face. "I can't even find the words. And now I find out three years have passed. I'm starting to feel like I missed out on something really good."

"With Chloe?" asked Lucas as he wandered about the room examining things.

"Yes with Chloe, who else? You know how I feel about her."

No secrets in a town like Salem, not for someone like him, besides he had crashed and burned spectacularly with her in high school. At the time he had been the topic of much gossip. That was part of the reason he decided to enlist, to put some distance between not only himself and Chloe, but also from the idle minds of the town. Being humiliated and heartbroken was no way for an eighteen year old to live. So he ran. Philip was so glad he had made that choice. Joining the Marines was one of the best decisions of his life.

"Back then you were all about Belle, from what I remember," said Lucas as he turned the faucet handles on the little sink on the wall with the door.

"I love Belle, part of me always will, but that was always completely separate from this thing with Chloe. You of all people should understand."

Before he met Chloe, Belle was Philip's first love. He'd never declared his affections of course, the ones he had been secretly harboring since the third grade. She had been a fixture in his life, her blond pigtails and big blue eyes. She followed her big brother Brady around like his shadow, annoying him endlessly, but Philip had loved her. It was a crush he thought he would never shake. Even as it became increasingly clear that Belle would only ever have eyes for Shawn, Philip held on to the hope that one day he would get a shot. She would give him a chance to prove that he was the man that could really make her happy.

Finally Philip did get that shot, well sort of. Complications and miscommunications that seemed to plague all love matches in Salem, had for once worked in his favor, giving him a chance to be with Belle. Denial is powerful, but deep down the heart always knows the truth, and deep down Philip knew that Belle's heart wasn't really his. He just fought like hell to change that fact. He couldn't lose another love. He couldn't go through that pain again. Not after Chloe.

"Because of Sami," he said slowly, understanding on his face.

"Exactly." Philip nodded. If anyone could understand the nature of a love you just can't shake, it would be Lucas. He and Sami had been on a merry go round of romance since they were kids.

Lucas sighed, running his hands down his face. He looked tired. "I think you just need to relax, you'll get all your answers soon."

"I'm not going to be able to relax, until I see her. Lucas, just tell me one thing." Philip turned on his side to face Lucas fully.

"What do you want to know?" asked Lucas moving closer to the bed, but stopping just short of sitting on it again. He leaned his knee on the mattress.

"Is Chloe single? I know she and Brady broke up, but is there anyone else, another man?"

"Not a man per se, but someone else, yes," Lucas smirked.

"What do you mean not a man?" Was she a lesbian now? He couldn't see Chloe making that switch, although the thought of Chloe with another woman was hot. "Is she hooked up with a younger guy? Some teenager? I can't picture Chloe with some college guy."

"College students have their appeal. Sometimes a little youthful energy is good for the soul."

"You're telling me that you'd date a college girl, some chick in class with Will?" asked Philip narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know about that, but I wouldn't count anything out."

"I'm not sure I could do it. You've got to at least be able to drink legally to get in my bed. I think I'd feel like a dirty old man."

Lucas broke into a fit of laughter, actually doubling over as his laughs shook his whole body.

"What's so funny?" asked Philip.

"You're still a little young to be a dirty old man." Lucas shook his head as his laughter subsided, his face flushed from his outburst.

"You know what I meant. A girl's got to be legal. So just tell me straight up, is she seeing anyone?"

"Chloe is very much alone these days," replied Lucas. Philip's heart lifted unexpectedly at the news, a broad grin overtaking his face. Chloe was single.

It always came back to Chloe. She had changed his life for the better, for the worse, for always. Philip just couldn't imagine any other woman being able to take her place in his heart. She was a permanent resident, the one he compared every other love to, the one that set the benchmark for what real love should feel like. If any other woman came close, and Belle definitely had, he shut a just a little piece of himself off, to protect himself from feeling anywhere near what he had felt for Chloe. He wanted to keep those memories sacred, yet also bury them at the same time. Philip never wanted to love anyone that deeply again, he didn't want to subject himself to that level of pain. The inevitable pain that comes from giving yourself completely to someone else, to letting someone inside your soul, Philip just couldn't risk it. Unless it was for her. Chloe was the only one that would ever make him face the pain again. She was worth it.

"Earth to Philip. Where'd you go just now? Don't tell me back to Chloe?"

"I can't help it. I'm thinking about her more and more. What do you think it means?"

"I think that is your last memory, so your mind is hanging on to it. Making you fixate a little."

Philip leaned his head on his hand. "I think it's more than that. I remember loads of other things from that time, but they are not popping into my head every few minutes."

"Maybe because the other things don't come in such a beautiful package." Lucas grinned.

Chloe's face appeared in Philip's mind. "She is unforgettable. Those eyes, that smile…"

"Those breasts," added Lucas.

"Don't go there man, please," groaned Philip, his face contorting in distaste.

"I'm not allowed to appreciate a beautiful woman's assets?"

"It's bad enough I have to think about Brady appreciating. I don't want to have to worry about you too."

"Okay, fair enough. Just try to keep a level head." He reached over and ruffled Philip's hair. A move he often did when he wanted to put Philip in his place, to remind him that he was the younger brother. "No snap decisions until you know all you've missed these past few years. What you find out might change your perspective."

"I won't be jumping into anything, trust me. I'm just getting over Belle, she's dealing with Brady."

"That was years ago, Philip," Lucas said softly.

"Right. I guess she's over Brady then?"

"I would say so."

He exhaled sharply. "I've got to get used to this."

"You'll adjust. Patience brother," said Lucas patting Philip's arm.

The door opened and Maggie Horton, dressed in a pale green suit, walked in with a baby in her arms, Melanie's baby. Philip had a hard time making out his features, he was a bit fuzzy from that distance, but his bright blue eyes were like a beacon.

"Sorry to interrupt," said Maggie.

"Aunt Maggie, am I late?" asked Lucas turning his back to Philip, stepping in front of Maggie, blocking Philip's view. "I thought we were meeting up with Mel later."

"Mrs. Horton?" Philip leaned forward in the bed to see her.

"Hello there Philip," said Maggie, leaning around Lucas to wave. Philip could hear the baby making happy sounds as Maggie spoke. "So nice to see your smiling face."

"Thank you. It's nice to be smiling," Philip responded, his smile widening.

"Let me get a look at this boy" Lucas took the baby from Maggie's arms." How's my little nephew?" he asked.

"Nephew? You weren't kidding about thinking of Melanie as family." Lucas quickly looked back at Philip before once again stepping in front of Maggie. Philip could've sworn a look of horror had passed over Lucas' face.

"She is family Philip," said Maggie walking over to the bed. "Melanie's like a daughter to me. She's lived with me since she came to Salem."

"She lives with you still? Even though she's married?" Philip asked perplexed.

Maggie smiled. "Yes she does. It's nice to have a full house again."

"I just don't get it. I saw the size of that ring. Her husband's got to be loaded. Why is she working all hours when she has a baby? And why is she still living with you? What is he, some sort of deadbeat?"

Lucas let out a huge laugh from the back of the room. Philip noticed Maggie shoot Lucas a sharp look that made Lucas stop mid laugh. Philip had no idea what was going with those two.

Maggie took a seat in the chair. "Our home life is unconventional, but it works."

"Lucas I couldn't find Melanie. You think you and Parker could go look for her? I want to sit with Philip for a bit," said Maggie turning toward Lucas from the chair.

"No problem. Gives me a chance to bond with this little guy. I'll see you later Philip," said Lucas without a backwards glance. It was like he was eager to get out of the room, away from him.

"I'm sort of surprised you want to visit me," said Philip as Maggie returned her full attention to him.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"I always got the impression you didn't like me much."

"I think I might have judged you unfairly. We didn't know each. Your father tells such wonderful stories about you all the time." She rubbed his arm affectionately, before grabbing his hand and giving it a quick squeeze.

"You talk to my father?" Philip asked in amazement.

"We're friends," Maggie explained.

"I never would've pictured the two of you associating. How did you even meet?"

"I've known your father for years, not well of course. We got to really know each other over the past year, a special event brought us together."

"Something for the hospital I assume. I guess that makes sense." Philip shook his head from side to side trying to let all of the new information sink in. "And Mickey doesn't mind you hanging out with my dad?"

"Mickey passed away last year." He noticed Maggie's eyes filling with tears as she spoke.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. He was a good man."

"Thank you, Philip. Enough about me," she said shaking her head as if to physically clear it. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He really wasn't. His head hurt, his vision was blurry, his throat was raw, and he couldn't stop thinking about Chloe, but that was nothing he could say to a practical stranger.

"Melanie keeps me posted about you. She was very excited that you got your voice back. She told me about that toy you used. Crazy girl."

Philip could tell Maggie really cared about Melanie. The woman smiled every time she said her name. Maggie Horton wouldn't embrace some shyster or con artist, so maybe he was off base about Melanie's motives. He had to learn that not everyone was as messed up as his family. Good people did exist in the world.

"I sound like a frog, but it is better than having to type out words. Now if I only could get my memory back."

"You're always in such a rush. Slow down and let yourself heal. I know it's probably pointless to say that to you."

"How well did we know each other Mrs. Horton?" he asked looking the older red headed woman over. She spoke to him with such familiarity, as if she knew him well and spent extended amounts of time with him. He couldn't think of any reason that would have him hanging out with Maggie Horton. They just were part of really different worlds.

"Well enough that you could call me Maggie," she said squeezing his hand again.

"Well enough that I could ask you a favor?" asked Philip, a slow grin spreading on his face.

"I should think so. What do you need?"

"Can I borrow your phone?" he asked flashing his most charming smile.

"I get the feeling your doctors wouldn't like that," said Maggie wagging her finger at him disapprovingly.

"We can just keep it between us. I really need to talk to Chloe," he pleaded.

"I thought you spoke to her earlier."

"How did you know that?" He really didn't have any privacy. Every move was common knowledge it seemed.

"Melanie told me," she explained.

"Right. I did speak to her earlier, but I didn't have my voice back then. I just want to be able to talk to her normally this time."

"It means that much to you?" Maggie asked looking at him with what seemed like sympathy.

Why did everyone get so weird whenever he brought up Chloe? He felt like everyone was in on some big secret and he was the only one out of the loop.

"Nothing means more to me right now." Philip admitted. He wasn't sure he would be able to sleep if he didn't check up on Chloe soon.

"I really shouldn't do this," said Maggie pulling her phone out of her purse. "But I think I know how to get in touch with her."

"That would be great. I know she's performing, but maybe we can catch her before she hits the stage."

"Hi Drew. This is Maggie Horton. How are you?" Philip briefly wondered who this Drew was, but let it go. If he could get to Chloe, it didn't matter.

"I'm very well, thank you. Drew, I have a special request that I'm hoping you could help me with. It is about Chloe. I need to speak with her. Oh you're with her now? That's perfect. Can I talk to her for a few moments?" Maggie gave Philip a thumbs up as she waited for Chloe to come to the phone.

"Hello Chloe? This is Maggie, honey. How are you? It's good to hear your voice too. Are you taking care of yourself? Good, you have to stay strong."

Maggie smiled as she spoke to Chloe on the phone, seeming really happy to talk to her. Philip hadn't realized that Chloe and Maggie were close. In fact, he wasn't aware that they had ever been more than passing acquaintances. So much must have happened in the past three years.

"Chloe I have a little surprise for you. Someone wants to speak to you. No, no not him. But I think you'll like this person just as much. Hang on Chloe."

"Okay Philip, remember she is under a lot of stress. Be sure to keep things light," said Maggie before handing Philip the phone.

"I will Maggie," Philip assured her as he put the phone to his ear, and watched her leave the room. He suddenly was feeling shaky now that Chloe was on the line. "Hello, Chloe?"

"Philip?"

"Yeah it's me." He cringed as his voice cracked slightly. He could only imagine what she must have been thinking about how he sounded.

"You're talking," she said. Philip could hear the smile in her voice.

"Yes it seems that way." He tried to pull himself together, put on his most disarming voice. "I had to talk to you again, our last conversation just wasn't good enough."

"I did all the talking," Chloe teased, laughing lightly.

"Yeah, you wouldn't let me get a word in. So this time I thought maybe you would let me talk." He teased her back, wishing he could see her face while they had this conversation.

"I guess I could do that. You sound like Froggy though."

"From the Little Rascals? You remember that?" he asked with a shocked smile.

"How could I forget? We watched so many hours of Little Rascals when I was sick in the hospital with cancer."

Philip hadn't thought about those days in years. He tried to forget that Chloe was ever that sick, that he almost lost her. They had spent so much time in the hospital, cuddled on the bed together, just watching TV. Chloe always wanted to watch some old movie, some romance in black and white. Philip preferred a western if he was being forced to watch classic cinema. A gunfight could make even the lamest movie good. Or even better, cartoons. Philip had tried to convince Chloe that laughter was the best medicine and therefore they should watch Cartoon Network. Finally they compromised and agreed on the Little Rascals. It came on daily, two episodes, from 3PM to 4PM. Philip rushed from school to be there to watch. No way would he miss their standing date.

"I used to call you Darla and..."

"And you threatened to serenade me like Alfalfa," she interrupted laughter in her voice.

"But I wouldn't have been off key like him."

"Sure you wouldn't have," she teased.

"Watch it Darla! Or I'll start singing right now," he threatened laughing heartily despite the pain in his throat.

"Please don't, my head is messed up enough as it is."

"Why's your head messed up?" he asked not liking the sound of that. "Stage fright?"

"Something like that," she answered, far more subdued than she had been before. "So you're talking again, which is good. Any other improvements? Will you be going home soon?" Philip knew avoidance when he heard it, and Chloe was sidestepping big time. But he decided not to press her about it. Not yet.

"I think I have a bit longer in this place. You are just going to have to come and visit me. We can watch Little Rascals."

"I would love that. So much," she said warmly. A sadness had crept into her voice and Philip wasn't sure what had changed between them so quickly. They were just laughing.

"Great, so when are you coming?" he asked his voice lifting hopefully.

"Oh Philip, I can't," she said sounding very disappointed.

"Are you touring or something?"

"Or something. You know that I would be there in a heartbeat if I could. Nothing would stop me." She was crying. Philip could hear it and it tore him up inside. He never could stand it when Chloe cried.

"I just really want to see you." It was more than that, he needed to see her. But he kept that tidbit to himself, so he wouldn't scare her away with his intensity.

"I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Wondering how you are."

"I've been thinking about you too. Every time I close my eyes," he admitted, putting it all on the line, hoping she wouldn't crush him.

"Same here," she said.

Philip couldn't contain his smile. "Really?"

"Yes, sounds crazy doesn't it?"

"Sounds like maybe we are just too far away from each other. Our minds are trying to tell us something."

He felt like he could levitate from the bed, he was so happy. A weight had been lifted, she had been thinking of him too.

Chloe sighed. "I have so much in my head, I don't know what's real anymore."

"And I have so much missing from mine," he said quietly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

He tried to laugh it off. "Nothing. I'll bore you with that another time."

"Philip I have to go now," she said apologetically.

"Okay. We will have to talk again. You can't be singing all the time."

"We will," she said softly.

"Chloe, can I ask you something?"

"Anything," she almost whispered.

"Were you with me while I was in a coma?" Philip pressed the phone closer to his head as his pulse pounded in his ears.

"Do you mean did I visit you? Of course I did," she replied.

"No I mean when I was waking up. Were you by my side? I keep hearing your voice, like you were calling my name." Faintly in the background, pulling him to the surface, until he was surrounded by her sound, he strained to reach her and when he finally did, she wasn't there.

"Yes," she said breathily. "I was holding your hand the whole time."

"Wow." That was all he could say. There were no other words.

"I've got to go. You be good, Alfalfa," said Chloe.

Philip smiled as the call disconnected. He knew it. He had felt it. Suddenly it all made sense. She had been with him.

As Philip let the conversation sink in, his apprehension rose, it had been great to talk to her and even better to know he had been right in his feeling that she was with him when he came out of the coma. Yet something felt very wrong. Where was she now? Why wasn't she here with him? It didn't make sense that she would watch him wake up and then just leave before getting a chance to talk to him. And mostly why was he still hearing her voice in his head, calling out for him to help her? There was something he was missing in all of this, and he had to figure out what it was. He couldn't shake the feeling that his life and Chloe's life depended on it. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Melanie was itching to move. She had only been confined to the hospital bed for one hour, and already she was bored out of her mind. There were so many other things she could've been doing, besides resting on her butt. Now Parker was being inconvenienced, his already hectic schedule, being disrupted once more, since he had to be shuttled to his grandfather's house.

"Are you sure you packed everything he needs?" asked Melanie from the middle of her hospital bed, where she sat with her chin propped on her knees facing Maggie. She was hooked up to an IV so she couldn't go far.

Maggie pulled out the checklist that Melanie had given to her earlier. "All the usual stuff we keep in his bag."

"And Starlight? Did you remember that?" she asked not recalling if she had actually included it on her very detailed list.

"Yes and I packed his castle snow globe." Maggie was getting irritated, her smile was getting tighter and tighter. Melanie wasn't trying to be a pain, she just wanted to make sure Parker had everything he needed. She wasn't sure how long Daniel would try to force her to stay in the hospital.

"Good. He doesn't sleep well if he doesn't hear the song before bed."

"I know. I gave specific instructions to play it for him."

"And just who is this woman Victor hired? Is she qualified to take care of a baby?" asked Melanie. She didn't like the idea of Victor just bringing in some stranger to take care of Parker. She should have at least been consulted, so she could have checked the woman out first. Parker was her responsibility, and if anything happened to him under her watch, Philip would never forgive her.

"She has almost thirty years of experience, and excellent references. She was a nanny to royalty in Eastern Europe," replied Maggie. This was Maggie's third trip to the hospital of the day, this last trip was made especially for Melanie, to bring her some pajamas and to fill her in on the arrangements for Parker.

"Eastern Europe?" Melanie turned up her nose. "Does she even speak English?"

"English, French, German, Russian, Latvian, and Greek, which is why Victor hired her."

"Victor just happened to find an experienced nanny that speaks fluent Greek on a moment's notice?" asked Melanie suspiciously.

Melanie knew Victor had wanted to hire a nanny for months, and Melanie had always protested, wanting Parker to spend all of his time with family, instead of a stranger. There would be time enough in Parker's life for nannies and tutors, but now, while he didn't have his parents, Melanie thought it would better if he were surrounded by family.

"He had her on retainer for a while. He's been wanting to bring her on staff," said Maggie as she folded up the list of instructions and put it in her caramel brown leather purse.

"He was just waiting for me to fall on my face, to crash like I did today." Melanie suspected no one believed she could handle taking care of the baby. She felt like they were all waiting for her to prove them right and fail.

"Not at all sweetheart. He thinks you're wonderful with Parker," Maggie said with a reassuring smile. "He just figured you and Philip would need some extra time to yourselves while he recovers."

"I'm not sure there is a me and Philip anymore," Melanie said sadly looking out the window. At least her room had a window. Her dad didn't lock her in a windowless cell. She guessed she should've been thankful for that.

"Don't think like that Melanie. Things will get better," said Maggie patting Melanie on the leg.

"I don't know how. He has no idea who I am."

Melanie almost felt like she did back when she was first getting to know Philip, totally outclassed, without a shot that he would ever notice her. Back then her main competition had been Stephanie. Melanie could easily see Stephanie's flaws, and she could tell fairly quickly that romance wouldn't last. But this was different, in many ways her opponent was unbeatable. Chloe was not only the mother of his son and his first love, she also was the woman he remembered. The last memories in his mind were of Chloe. There was nothing Melanie could do to compete with that.

"Maybe not now, but he could get his memory back. You have to stay optimistic."

"I'm trying, but I know the realities of brain injuries. Some things just never heal."

"We've got this far, beating every odd, let's not give up now."

"My dad thinks I'm in denial and that I need to step back from Philip, focus on myself."

"He's just worried about you. As am I. You're not taking care of yourself, young lady," said Maggie with a stern look on her face.

"I'm fine. I just fainted," Melanie insisted. She was just a little tired and Maggie and her father were acting like she had a hellacious disease.

"Fainting doesn't usually get you admitted to the hospital," Maggie countered.

"My dad is overacting."

"Daniel told me you're suffering from dehydration, borderline malnutrition, and extreme fatigue. I think he reacted more than appropriately. I wish we could keep you here for a month, force you to get some rest."

"I can't stay." Melanie shook her head. "I've got to get back to Philip. He needs me."

"Philip has a big family that can pick up the slack for you while you rest. I've already set things in motion."

"What do you mean? What have you done?"

"I've told Victor and Kate that you're not going to be able to be there at all hours for Philip. They're going to have to get you some help."

"Maggie no…"

Kate and Victor probably now thought she was some immature weakling that had to be sent to bed by her parents. It was embarrassing.

"I don't want to hear it Melanie. You scared the living daylights out of me. When Daniel told me you were a patient, my mind immediately went to the worst. I thought about when you were shot. I can't go through that again. You're too precious to me."

Maggie was tearing up, and Melanie felt bad about putting her through this, but it wasn't like she hadn't done everything in her power to keep their lives running smoothly. If they couldn't have Philip with them at least they could have some semblance of a regular life. Falling out in the staff locker room was not part of the plan. Now Melanie was worried she had destroyed everything. Being stuck in the hospital away from Parker and from Philip, gave her father, Victor, and Kate a chance to take away her life. They could bring in someone new to care for both Parker and Philip. It seemed like it was already starting to happen. And Philip wouldn't protest. He didn't even know her anyway.

"But Maggie…" she started, close to a whine.

"But nothing. You are making yourself sick and it's high time that stops. So lie back and rest," said Maggie as she helped Melanie get under the covers.

"You don't understand. Philip is really in a bad place right now. He trusts me and he is relying on me to help him through it."

"Philip would not want you to jeopardize your health for him."

"He doesn't care about me like that. He doesn't know me."

Melanie briefly contemplated trying to make him care, pushing things, dropping hints. Then she thought better of it. What would be the point in trying to manufacture a connection with a man that already had a real connection to someone else? A someone he shared a child with.

"I beg to differ. From what I've seen memory or not, Philip cares about you. He was asking all sorts of questions about you and your home life."

"Questions? Like what?' she asked perking up. He had been asking about her when she wasn't around, maybe that was a sign he was starting to remember.

"He thinks you're working too hard, especially with a baby at home."

Melanie deflated, not what she wanted to hear at all. "Probably just his nice way of saying he wants a new nurse."

"No, I think he is genuinely concerned. He thinks your husband's some deadbeat that makes you do all the work," said Maggie her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"He said that?" Melanie asked smiling. "Oh Maggie. How did you respond?"

It was pretty funny and definitely nice that Philip had been so concerned about her "husband". At the same time, Melanie felt bad. She was essentially lying to him by not letting him in on the fact that he was the husband he was trashing.

"I just let that one slide. My point is Philip wouldn't want you taking care of him when you're not well."

"I'll stay the night," agreed Melanie, resigned to the fact that there was no arguing with Maggie.

"As if you had any choice."

"But that's it," she warned. "And don't tell Philip a thing. He has enough on his plate."

"Honey, I should tell you something about my visit with Philip today," said Maggie her mood changing. She toyed with the ring on her finger nervously.

"Okay."

"I let him use my phone to call Chloe."

"Why would you do that? Don't tell me he was asking for her again right?" Melanie was really just grateful Philip was back and thinking of anyone at all, even Chloe. It was a miracle he was even conscious, she wasn't going to belittle that by succumbing to jealousy.

"Something like that. It seemed really important to him."

"I'm glad you did that Maggie." The last thing she wanted was for Maggie to feel bad. She had put Philip first, something they all should be doing right now. "Maybe it will make him feel better."

"How does it make you feel?" asked Maggie gently.

Of course it bothered her that Philip was so preoccupied with Chloe. It actually hurt so much that her stomach often churned at the mention of her name. But all she could do was deal with it. Crying or getting upset wouldn't change anything.

"Everyone keeps asking me that. I'm fine. She is an important person in his life and he remembers her so it makes sense he would want to talk to her."

"I kept feeling like I should fill him in, so he would at least be more sensitive to your feelings."

"He'll find out in time, besides I don't want him to feel like he has to hide anything from me or edit himself. He told me he feels like I'm the one person in his life he can totally trust."

"That's how he always felt about you isn't it?" asked Maggie.

When they had nothing else they had their trust. Begrudging at first, earned piece by piece, tested and proven, until it could no longer be denied. They had each other's backs. Once romantic feelings got mixed in, and the inevitable pain that always chases love, things got rocky and their trust got damaged, but never was it fully destroyed. He had understood about the letter to Nathan and she had found a way to understand his night with Chloe. When she learned just how long he had held that lie, the fact that he had cheated on her, she still knew in her core that it was the only lie he had told her. She still trusted him enough to take his word. Not that any of that mattered now. It never happened in the current state of Philip's mind.

"For a good while yes. Once we built that trust it just kept strengthening. That's partly why the things I did to hurt him and the things he did to hurt me were so hard on us. We broke our trust, twice. The first time we managed to repair the damage stronger than before. This last time…"

"The accident happened before you could fix things," said Maggie completing Melanie's thought.

"And that's what I want us to do now. Fix things and restore that trust, but he doesn't remember."

She had such hopes for his recovery. She had dreamed he would open his eyes, smile at her, tell her he loved her, and she would finally get the chance to tell him she loved him too. That she never stopped loving him. Instead he woke up holding Chloe's hand, and asking for her. A cruel twist of fate, but Melanie really shouldn't have expected anything else. That was how life always went for her.

"A part of him remembers something if he's trusting you. So maybe there's a chance you can get back what you had."

"I hope so Maggie. If he stops trusting me, I'll have nothing. I really will be just a nurse to him."

It hurt to admit that out loud. All these months in a coma and she was accepted as the most important person in Philip's life. She was his wife and she had his power of attorney. She had made all of the decisions. Then one day it was all wiped away. She had become nothing more than the hired help.

"I'm going to go and tuck Parker in," said Maggie rising to her feet.

"Give him kisses from me."

"I will sweetheart. You get some sleep now. Your family needs you healthy," said Maggie as she kissed Melanie on top of her head.

"Didn't mean to interrupt," said the young attractive African-American woman as she entered the room. She had golden brown skin, and shiny black hair that hung straight along her face, a long haired version of a bob. It was after hours, yet she was still dressed for work, in a fitted red suit, and pumps.

"No you're fine," smiled Maggie turning toward the woman. "I was just leaving."

"I don't think you two have ever met," said Melanie. "Maggie Horton this is Dr. Kalina Hill."

"Mrs. Horton. I've seen you around the hospital," Kalina said as she shook Maggie's hand. "You do so much for our fundraising efforts."

"I like to stay busy," Maggie replied picking up her purse and putting it on her shoulder.

"The Horton family is such a big part of this hospital's legacy. It is an honor to meet you."

"Aren't you sweet. Well I'm off. I'll see you later Melanie."

"Love you," said Melanie as she reached up and hugged Maggie, closing her eyes as she squeezed her closer.

"Love you too, very much," said Maggie as she released Melanie and made her way to the door.

"Nice lady," commented Kalina as she watched Maggie leave the room.

Melanie nodded in agreement. "She's the best. What brings you by Kali? Did my dad send you so we could plan another play date?"

Kalina Hill was a psychiatrist, practicing for a few years, but she was still young. Most doctors her age would have been just starting out. Daniel, embracing his role of father to the fullest, had hooked Melanie up with Kalina to talk about educational options. Melanie guessed her father had thought that she would be inspired by Kalina's rise through medical school at such a young. Instead, it had been a weird meal, filled with awkward silences and very little conversation. They both felt very much put on the spot.

"Daniel told me you were here, but this is not about school," said Kalina taking a seat in a chair.

"Good. No offense but one awkward lunch about how we are Doogie Howsering through life was enough. Besides I'm only two years ahead of myself and you're like a gazillion."

She laughed. "Actually just five years ahead. But I agree, it was weird. Maybe sometime in the future we could just hang out for fun."

"I'm not sure. I think I might feel like you're trying to psychoanalyze me the whole time."

"I know how to turn it off, trust me," said Kalina pushing the hair off her shoulders.

"So what did you want to see me about?" asked Melanie.

"Philip."

"What about him?" asked Melanie.

"I'm his psychiatrist and my first meeting with him is tomorrow."

"Tests for brain damage came back negative I take it?" If his memory loss had been caused by head trauma, he wouldn't need a shrink.

"I would prefer to discuss that with him first," said Kalina, in a very professional tone. That was doctor speak for 'mind your own business', Melanie knew the language well.

"Absolutely. I understand. I can read his file easily enough anyway. And I know what bringing in a therapist means."

"Even if there were physical injuries he still would need me. I'm going to help him try to adjust. I heard he had a bad reaction to finding out how long he was in a coma and about his memory loss."

"Yes he did." Melanie's heart still ached thinking about how upset Philip had become. Philip rarely let his guard down that much to show weakness. It was unsettling to see him so distraught.

Kalina smiled. "Hopefully, I can get him on track, in a better state of mind."

"That would be great. Since you can't discuss his case with me, why exactly are you here?"

"I want to tell him about Parker."

"Tomorrow?" asked Melanie very surprised. She had thought they would've waited until he was home to break that news to him.

"I don't think it can wait."

"What about easing him back into his life?" The entire family was told not to tell Philip anything about what he missed, and here this doctor was ready to just drop it all on him.

"That's still the plan, but certain facts he must be told about immediately. Philip needs to know about his family, so that means telling him about his son and you…"

"And Chloe," added Melanie glumly.

"I will have to touch on Chloe, but I don't want to go into too much detail yet. That's a volatile subject."

"Don't I know it." She was getting ill just thinking about it. "I'm not looking forward to the day he finds out what she did."

"One step at a time. Step one is his immediate family. Will you be well enough to be there tomorrow?" asked Dr. Hill.

"You want me there when you tell him?"

Melanie wasn't sure if that was such a good idea. It might set him off to see her there, visual proof that she had been lying to him about Parker. She had hoped to come around once the dust had settled and maybe after the doctor had drugged him to keep him calm.

"It makes the most sense. He needs to see both you and Parker, so he can make the proper associations. I really wish Chloe could be there as well, but that's not possible."

"He remembers Chloe, so he'll associate her just fine," said Melanie squirming uneasily as she pondered Philip's reaction to it all.

"Does the idea of being there make you uncomfortable?"

Melanie shrugged. "I'll do whatever Philip needs."

"But are you okay with it? Would rather sit it out?"

Heck yeah, she wanted to sit it out. After the way he reacted to finding out how long he had been in a coma, Melanie couldn't imagine he'd take finding out about his son any better.

"What do you think is best for him?" asked Melanie.

"I'm asking what's best for you," Kalina pressed trying to draw a response from Melanie.

"Don't do that. Don't turn it on me. Just take care of Philip okay?"

"Melanie, if you need to talk…"

"I'm good," said Melanie curtly cutting Kalina off. "There's nothing to say. My husband doesn't remember me. Case closed."

"You make it sound so cut and dry."

"It is. No other way to put it." And nothing she could do to change it.

"He may not remember, but you do. You can't just ignore your feelings. You need to deal with this as much as he does."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping forward. "Let's just make it through tomorrow first. A big day."

"Indeed. So you and the baby be ready about 2pm. Will that work?" asked Kalina typing it into her Blackberry.

"We'll be here," said Melanie forcing a smile, despite the rising dread in the pit of her stomach.

"I'll see you then. And Melanie?"

"Yeah."

"Don't forget to take care of yourself. You matter too," said Kalina as she stepped out the door into the hallway.

If she really mattered Philip never would've forgotten her. At least tomorrow Parker would have his father back. Melanie hoped Philip would embrace the baby right away and not have any issues about him, like he clearly did about the son he gave up and Claire. Melanie was less worried about his reaction to finding out about her. Philip had been married before, wouldn't be much of a shock to find out he had done it again. But to find out he fathered a child, and missed out on all this time with him that would be tough. Melanie really hoped Philip was ready to hear it, like Dr. Hill believed.

She needed to check on him one last time before bed. His life was about to change and he didn't even realize it. She almost wanted to prepare him in some way, to cushion the blow. But that wasn't allowed, there wasn't anything she could say to make it easier anyway. It would just have to be said flat out. Parker is your baby. Melanie desperately wanted to give him a hug before it all went down. Hopefully, he would be sleeping and she could stroke his hair like she used to, lie by his side and hold his hand. She didn't want him back in a coma, she would never wish that, but she missed the intimacy she could share with him then. Now that he was alert and she was a stranger to him, caresses and loving touches were strictly off limits. The few physical interactions they had already shared had made things incredibly awkward between them. Making his life harder was the last thing she wanted to do.

It was decided. She would just pop into his room for a bit and watch him sleep. No one would ever have to know. Melanie leaned over and switched off the monitor that alerted the nurses' station when a patient's IV or catheter was removed, before unhooking herself from her IV. In pink fuzzy socks, pink sleep shorts and a yellow happy face t-shirt, she crept silently down the hall to Philip's room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

She didn't even let him know how to contact her. She promised they'd talk again. But how? When? Maybe he was being too clingy and she could hear it in his voice and was trying to get away. He was pretty eager with her on the phone. He needed to remember that the crash didn't just happen and the connection they made during that experience was probably lost. For her at least, it had been years. For Philip, it was all there strong as ever, maybe stronger now that he knew she was by his side when he came out of the coma. It felt like sign, maybe destiny, that she was with him during two huge moments where his life hung in the balance. They were linked somehow. He could feel it.

He turned to stare at the white gold designs being painted on the wall by the moon, as it glowed through the blinds. Philip knew he should try to sleep, he could feel the drain of the day on his body. But his mind wouldn't stop, persistently searching for the lost pieces of his life. They had to still be in there somewhere. He just had to try harder to reach them.

She came in so quietly he almost didn't hear her. But years in the military had trained him to be aware of his surroundings, so he turned instinctively when he heard the floor creak across the room. Melanie slowly approached, like an apparition, like a dream, in short pajamas. She seemed surprised that he was awake, her eyes widening slightly when she saw him move. She stood quietly by his bed, just staring, her big blue eyes seeming to say so much, but he couldn't decipher their meaning.

"You need a shave," she said reaching out and rubbing his cheek. He caught her hand as it trailed down his face, removing it, but not letting it go.

"I had one earlier in the week. Can't do it daily like I used to in here."

"I used to do that for you. It was one of our things."

"Our things?" Philip asked.

"Our rituals, our routine, our life these last few months."

She talked about it all so intimately, like she was a part of it, a part of him. The cold detachment that most in the healthcare industry had was absent from her. Everything felt so personal, even now with her standing by his bed was something more. This wasn't a professional visit. She'd come to see him, not because she had to, but because she wanted to. He could see it in her eyes. It was as if she wanted something from him, but was reluctant to ask.

He dropped her hand when he felt her fingers twitch beneath his, suddenly embarrassed that he had held it so long. She stared down at her released hand, seeming not sure what to do with it, as if the fact that she was no longer touching him left her off center, lost, and she had to force herself to figure out what to do next. Though the shadows of moonlight often tricked the eyes and maybe it wasn't longing he saw in her blue depths at all, maybe it was simply friendly concern. She had seen him at a really low point, could be she just felt sorry for him and wanted to make sure he wasn't in here melting down. That seemed more plausible than the idea that his nurse was feeling something more for him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked his voice sounding scratchy and hoarse to his own ears. "It's late."

She lowered her eyes, hesitating. "I came to check on you," she said finally turning her pale blue eyes on him. Even in the near darkness the color stood out and Philip felt himself being pulled into them. Her eyes like magnets, drawing him to places he shouldn't go.

"Shouldn't you be home with your baby?" he asked trying to bring himself back from the brink by mentioning reality. She was married with a kid, not some woman that was interested in him. "In bed with your husband?"

She shrugged. "I'd rather be here." She swung her arms back and forth alongside her body like a child being forced to stand still.

He cocked his head at her response, studying her face. "What's up with that Little Nurse? What's wrong that you don't want to go home?" he asked his tone softening as he noticed the tears pool in her eyes. He wanted to kick himself for asking a question that made her react like that.

"I couldn't sleep," she said fingering the edge of his quilt.

"So you came back to the hospital? You're so strange," he chuckled, hoping to lighten things up and make her smile. "Most of us are hoping to break out of this joint, not spend extra time here."

"I like to separate myself from the pack. Try to do the unexpected." She almost smiled, he could see her mouth attempting to lift at the corners, but it was as if she gave up midway.

"Definitely didn't expect to find you standing over my bed like a little angel. You look like you're ready to drop. Do you want to sit?"

In the shadows of the room her pale skin glowed bright like a halo, her red hair hanging in waves about her shoulders, and her pale blue eyes unusually large as they strained to adjust to the lack of light. She created quite a vision, and Philip couldn't tear himself away.

She shook her head. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I didn't much feel like it. I'm the opposite of you. I've had too much rest."

Truth was his mind wouldn't let him sleep. Even when he managed to stop thinking about all that he couldn't remember, he was still haunted by Chloe. Her voice calling him, echoing in the darkness, and lately her cries were sounding more urgent.

"Sometimes my mind is so filled, thinking about everything in my life, that I just can't sleep. Actually most nights I don't even bother." She wrapped her arms about herself, rubbing up and down as if she were cold.

"Is that what's giving you nightmares?" he asked glancing at her quickly before turning his attention to his hands in his lap. "I heard you talking in your sleep earlier when you took a nap in the chair. Sounded like something big was on your mind."

"I don't know. I never remember my dreams." She swayed on her feet, putting her hand on the bed to steady herself. Philip reached out and grabbed her elbow, even though she was already leaning on the bed. The overwhelming urge to touch her returned and this time he didn't fight it.

"I really think you should sit down." He moved over on the bed, to make room for her. "Only if you want to," he added when he saw her hesitation.

Melanie bit her lip contemplating his suggestion, her full lips even pinker from the pressure of her teeth. "Thanks," she said. Philip continued to focus on her mouth, imagining her lips in places he shouldn't. He was so fixated that he was startled when she got in the bed next to him.

He really hadn't thought this through. With her this close to him he was very aware of her. He could tell she wasn't wearing a bra under that tight t-shirt, and he briefly wondered if that was why the yellow face on her chest was smiling so damn wide. Plus she smelled like vanilla and flowers. It was driving him nuts at such close proximity, made him want to lean closer to her so he could inhale that scent. Then she moved, making herself more comfortable on top of his quilt, her legs, impossibly long for a woman her size, so pale and smooth, were fully on display, begging him to just reach down and touch them.

He ran his hand over his hairy chin, cursing himself for even suggesting she get in the bed. He couldn't even think straight now. How was he going to function and carry on a conversation with her when all his thoughts were coming from below the belt? Philip tried to pull himself together. He had faced down enemies in battle. He could handle one little woman in his bed without losing it.

"So how shall we spend the night, since we're both members of the Insomnia Association? Ghost stories? Embarrassing childhood memories? Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall?"

"Missed you," she murmured.

He looked down to find her eyes closed, snuggling into the pillow they shared, her body curved toward him. He reached out and pushed the hair out of her face, fully knowing that touching her was the absolute wrong move. But he couldn't help himself she looked so pretty in the moonlight. And so damn young. He retracted his hand feeling a little unnerved that he was attracted to someone that clearly was inappropriate for him, on so many levels. Her eyes were still closed, but she was smiling as she pressed herself into his side, her hair spilling over the pillow and onto his chest. Against his better judgment, Philip didn't move. There was something about having her close that he liked.

"You missed me?" he asked. She nodded, eyes still closed. "Missed me since earlier today? We haven't been apart that long."

"It felt like forever," she said softly.

"I guess I should be flattered. It's been a long time since I had a woman in my bed. Nine months I guess." He tried to joke but didn't feel much like laughing when he felt her rubbing his chest.

"Not that long." She opened her eyes and looked up at him, tears brimming over her dark lashes. Philip's breath caught in his throat as he stared into those eyes. What was it about her? He ran his finger along the side of her face, as he continued to watch her. The tears finally fell, and Philip tried to catch every one as he brushed them away with his fingertips.

"What is wrong? Please tell me," he pleaded pulling her closer to his body so her head rested on his chest. Philip had given up on staying strong. He just needed to hold her. The pull toward her was completely incomprehensible to him, but he wasn't going to fight it.

"I'm so tired Philip. I think this stuff they gave me is kicking in. Can I stay with you?" she asked as she continued to stroke his chest.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. What would your husband think?" he asked as he pressed his lips against her hair. He was totally screwed now, allowing himself to get wrapped up in her was a bad idea.

"You don't want me," she pouted looking up at his face. Philip wanted to laugh, she looked so cute, but thought better of it because she seemed so serious, like she was really hurt by the idea he didn't want her.

"I didn't say that. I'm just not sure you're aware of your actions right now. I don't want you to do anything you might regret." Really he was concerned about himself. Regret was just around the corner, as he sat in his bed, in the dark, with an armful of nurse Melanie.

"I could never regret you." She said it so emotionally, as if she wanted to convince him of that fact.

Philip's brows knitted together in confusion. "You're not making any sense."

"Yes I am," she insisted. "You just don't remember."

"What don't I remember?" he asked almost holding his breath as he awaited her answer.

She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips, pulling back to stare him in the eyes. The sweetest smile spread across her face and Philip couldn't help but return it. The kiss had felt so nice. She kissed him again, deeper this time her full lips with gentle pressure against his. He opened his mouth to kiss her completely. He was going to hell for this anyway right? So might as well make it good. She smiled against his mouth before kissing him back with rising intensity her tongue gently sweeping against his, little pockets of sweet warmth in his mouth. Philip gave her one last peck on the lips, before pulling away.

"Goodnight," she said through lidded eyes, a dopey smile on her face.

"Goodnight," he whispered. She climbed across him to the foot of the bed, curling into a ball by his legs. She fit perfectly, as if she had occupied that spot before.

Philip had no idea what just happened. She clearly was on some drugs. But he guessed he was right about that vibe, the way she kissed him there was no mistaking it, his nurse was into him. But why? Was she some sort of wacko that fell for comatose men? Or did she have a thing for patients? She had made it seem like something more, like he should have known she felt this way. So strange. Like everything else in his life at this point.

With his little nurse asleep at the end of the bed, Philip was again left alone with his thoughts, which inevitably drifted back to Chloe. Their phone conversation had been good, but it left him filled with so many questions. Something was off with her, he was sure of it. Or maybe he just wanted to be sure of it. Thinking Chloe had some secret or was somewhere needing him were whole lot better scenarios than the more likely option that she just didn't care all that much. So much could have changed in three years, maybe what they had always felt for each other, that connection, that bond, had been lost along the way. Philip had no way of knowing until he started getting filled in about his life. He hoped that would be a soon, because he was tired of being a clueless bystander to his own history.

Melanie shifted by his foot, placing her arm across his leg as she repositioned herself. It was safe to assume she knew about his missing lower leg, being his nurse she would probably have fairly detailed knowledge of his entire body. Normally Philip felt strange about revealing his injury to women, he didn't like the look of pity or worse the look of revulsion, he usually found in their eyes. Most days he felt fine, like his normal self, like he could take on the world and nothing could hold him back. Then he had to undress and it all came rushing back, all that he was lacking. Those were the times that he couldn't help but feel like half of a man.

Belle had taken his injury in stride, but Philip figured she had to. She was his wife and she loved him, well claimed to love him. It was easy to be around her at any rate. He didn't have to pretend there wasn't something missing under his clothes. Chloe had been a different story. Circumstances at the crash site forced him to reveal himself to her. Philip had braced himself for her reaction. He figured he would mainly see pity with just a hint of disgust. When he got her reaction, he was way beyond surprised. Chloe still saw him as the man he always was. She even still had an attraction to him. It reminded him of when she lost her hair from chemo. She looked as beautiful as ever to him. It didn't change a thing, it was the same Chloe he had always loved. In the tent that night it had hit him, in a way this was the same thing. Physical changes didn't impact how they felt about each other. He felt silly for even thinking otherwise.

Now it was three years later and the wrong woman was by his side. He remembered being caught between life and death with Chloe, only to open his eyes and find a little redhead with a super huge grin in her place. It was so hard to get used to. The one person he was so sure would be there was nowhere to be found, and a complete stranger was ever present, his constant support. As much as he wished for Chloe to come walking through the door with her sparkling blue eyes, and dazzling smile, he just as much didn't want his nurse to go. Sure he was a little freaked out to find her standing over his bed in the middle of the night like that crazy lady from Misery, but he was glad she came. Something about her was comforting. He guessed that was the hallmark of a good nurse, being a comforting presence. Philip couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but there was something else about her too. It felt right to have Melanie in his bed. And that was the thought that freaked him out most of all.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Are there no visiting hours in this place?" asked Philip watching his mom come in his room, dressed in jeans, a navy blazer, a long strand of knotted pearls, her heels clicking on the tile floor. "It's like Grand Central station."

She had on a black leather coat with fur trim, real of course, because Kate Roberts didn't let animal rights get in the way of her fashion. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, fussing with his hair before straightening up. She smelled of perfume, and the outdoors, she was still fresh and frosty from the chilly February air.

"Those rules don't apply to us. We can see you anytime we choose," said Kate as she threw her coat over the back of the chair before taking a seat.

"So I'm not allowed any privacy I suppose?"

"What do you need privacy for, got a hot date?" she asked teasing him.  
Philip pointed to Melanie at the foot of the bed. In the low light of the room she was almost invisible to anyone that didn't know she was there.

"She just curled up there like a stray kitten," said Philip with a hint of smile as he looked down at her. Her lips were slightly parted, and her hands were tucked under her head as she slept.

"Aww poor thing," said Kate, sounding almost sincere. "She must have snuck out of her room."

Philip looked at his mother in surprise. "Her room? Is she a patient here?"

"She didn't want us to mention it to you, I guess she was embarrassed or something. But yes she was admitted earlier."

"What happened?" Now it made more sense why she had come to his room so late at night, wearing pajamas no less.

"She collapsed. Apparently she is suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, poor nutrition," said Kate as she looked over at Melanie. Philip actually saw honest concern in his mother's eyes. It was unreal to see her so interested in a person that wasn't family, a female no less.

"That's not surprising. I can look at her and see she is tired, and she is so tiny."

"She's been through a lot lately. Sometimes things take a toll."

"So you know about her history? Her background? I think something is really wrong with her." There was more to his nurse than met the eye. He was starting to think his family was deliberately keeping the real deal from him.

"What do you mean?" asked Kate running her fingers through the ends of her blue tipped brown hair.

"I heard her talking in her sleep. She was very upset, like something traumatic happened to her. And she's so sad, mom. I know there has to be something going on with her."

Kate sighed heavily. "Philip, maybe we should respect her privacy for now."

"You know something, I can tell. You've got to let me know what's going on. How else can I help her?" he asked feeling suddenly very frustrated he was stuck in the bed. If he were stronger he could just dig a little and find all the answers on his own. He hated having to rely on other people for information, or anything for that matter.

"You want to help her? You hardly know her."

"She has been taking care of me for months, pretty selflessly from what I've been told. If there is any way I could repay the favor, I want to do it." Money didn't even seem like enough at this point. As the picture of all that Melanie had done for him came slowly into focus, Philip realized that this woman just might have been responsible for him being alive today.

"You don't owe her anything. She wouldn't want you to feel obligated."

"Mom, just tell me what you know," he urged.

"Her family situation is complicated right now."

"It's because of her husband right?"

"Why would you assume that?" she asked slowly, leaning back in the chair.

"Come on, she is obviously married to a rich man, yet she is working so hard. And she keeps telling me he doesn't care about the hours she keeps. She has this baby, that's always here at the hospital with her, never with his father. Huge red flag. The husband sounds like a real scumbag to me."

This guy had everything and it was like he didn't even appreciate it. Philip would pretty much give up all that he owned to have a loving wife and some kids. He never knew just how much he wanted those things until he married Belle. More than anything he wanted a home, a place he could retreat to after a long day at work. A beautiful wife waiting for him, kids calling him daddy, Philip wanted a life where he knew he was the center of someone's world.

"Philip…"

He continued as if his mother hadn't spoken. "I know I shouldn't be quick to judge, but no man would leave his wife to handle all of this alone. He would be trying to make her life easier. He would be trying to carry some of the weight. At least that is what I would do if I were married."

"That's because you're a good man," said Kate rubbing Philip's arm. "I'm so proud of you honey."

"So help me do something nice for Melanie then. Maybe we can send her on a vacation."

"She's not going to want to leave Salem," said Kate pursing her lips. "Too much here she cares about."

"She came in here tonight, saying she'd rather be with me than at home. She's a newlywed. What newlywed doesn't want to be with her husband?"

She came to see him, she climbed into his bed, and she kissed him, if Melanie was really into her marriage Philip couldn't tell. All of his instincts were telling him that his nurse wanted him. No way could she be happily married.

"Well you are charming and very good looking, maybe she has a little crush," said Kate smiling at him.

"Mom, you are evading." His mother was bouncing her crossed leg at an increasingly rapid pace. She only did that when she was lying or hiding something.

"I know Melanie pretty well, we all do. I promise you sweetheart, she'll be fine. We are taking care of her."

Maybe her husband was from a rival family and he was threatening her and her son. She could be hiding out at Maggie Horton's house. Philip dismissed that theory quickly. That seemed like too much of a stretch even for his family. Besides Melanie didn't seem scared, she seemed sad. She got emotional whenever she brought up her husband. It had to be something more personal.

"Is she under our protection? Is that it? You guys treat her like family, is she the daughter of one of dad's associates or something."

"Her father is Victor's godson, so in a way I guess she is under protection."

"His godson…I think I remember him." Philip thought back to his childhood. His dad did have an older godson. "A doctor right?"

"Yes Daniel Jonas." His mother made a face when she said his name. Philip got the distinct impression she didn't like the guy much. "He actually lives in Salem now full time. He works at the hospital."

"Dad must be thrilled. Is he one of my doctors?"

"No. Conflict of interest."

"I don't understand."

"Well he's practically family sweetheart. Doctors take oaths about that sort of thing."

"So who's her husband?" That's what he wanted to know most of all. He wanted to talk to him man to man or better yet put a hurting on the guy. Philip was convinced he was a selfish bastard. Melanie deserved better.

"You're talking about Melanie so much sweetie. Maybe you're the one with the crush."

Philip ignored the crush comment. He didn't want to play games. He wanted answers. "I just want to know why my nurse looks like she is about to burst into tears at any moment. She wasn't like that a few days ago when I first woke up."

"She's going through some personal drama, just leave it Philip." His mom was shutting down on him. He knew he'd get no more info out of her tonight.

"Fine. Why are you here so late anyway?" He squinted over at the clock on the bedside table. It was after midnight.

"Just wanted to check in on you. We haven't had a chance to talk, since well you started talking again."

"Please don't ask me how I'm feeling."

"I won't. Any memories come back yet?"

"Nope. It's still 2008 up here," he said tapping his temple. "I was just telling Lucas earlier how it is really hard wrapping my mind around the fact three years have passed."

"Lucas told me he stopped by. He was very happy to see you."

"It was good to see him." Although it would've been nice if he had stayed longer, or at least left after saying a real goodbye. Some thing was up with Lucas, actually something was up with everyone in his life it seemed.

"He'll be back I'm sure, if we can just pry him away from that baby."

"Melanie's baby?"

Kate nodded as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. "He had never met Parker before. I think he's found a new playmate. Last I checked he was still over at the mansion playing with him." She handed Philip her phone so he could view the screen. There was a picture of Melanie's son on Lucas' lap in what looked like the living room of his house.

"Parker's at the mansion?" asked Philip, scrolling through the pictures. His mom had an extraordinary amount of photos of the baby. She usually only put pictures of her grandchildren on her phone, not the kids of her staff.

"Well yeah, because Melanie's sick…"

"And you guys just naturally take in her kid?" he asked cutting her off. "That's it. Tell me what the hell is going on. Did I fall into another dimension as well as lose my memory? No way would my parents, Kate Roberts and Victor Kiriakis, take in some stray baby off the street."

"I just told you Melanie is your father's godson's daughter."

He handed her back her phone. "That explains him, but what about you? You hate everyone."

Kate rolled her eyes. "That's is the biggest distortion of the truth I've ever heard."

The mother he knew didn't like many people. She had an opinion about everyone, usually a negative one. That was why her fairly positive attitude about Melanie shocked him. Only a miracle or Brady blood could get Kate Roberts to like someone, and even then it was a long shot.

"You don't play well with others Mom, you've got to admit."

"Melanie took really good care of you, the whole time you were in a coma. I appreciate how much she cares about you. She has proven herself to me."

Philip looked her up and down, feeling like his mother had been body snatched and replaced by an alien. "Test time. So if I decided to start dating my nurse, you would have no objections, provided she was single that is."

"None whatsoever." Man she didn't even twitch. What the hell was up? Melanie had really managed to win over his family. He wondered what was her secret, maybe she could teach Chloe her techniques.

"You are so full of it. I think you all are playing one big joke on me."

"Let me turn it back on you. Test time. If your nurse were single, would you be interested in dating her?"

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you," he stalled.

"Who else are going to have it with? Answer the question."

Yeah he liked her, but the last thing Philip needed was to start up a new relationship, especially with someone that a) wasn't available and b) worked for him. It would be like dating his administrative assistant. Granted Philip had dated a few of his assistants before but it never ended well and he always had to search for a replacement. Philip hated interviewing and breaking in new staff. So no he wouldn't date his nurse, he needed her too much in his life right now. And he was pretty damn sure no other nurse would care as much as she did.

"I think she's cute and sweet and really young. I might be too much for her to handle."

"It does take a pretty strong woman to deal with a Kiriakis man. That's your answer? You wouldn't date her, hypothetically that is." His mom was just too eager to hear his answer. It was like she was matchmaking or something.

Definitely no. Although to get the chance to feel those lips again and those legs wrapped around his waist. Okay no, he didn't want to go there. Just no, he wouldn't date his nurse. She was more like a buddy, a little sister even. Well maybe not a sister because those lips were so yummy, but definitely a buddy, just a good friend and a valued employee.

"She seems like fun, but I don't think she's my type. At any rate, she's married and I have my sights set elsewhere."

If there was even a chance this time with Chloe he was going to take it. His first impulse was to proceed with caution, but Philip had lost too much to waste any more time. He needed to start living his life, no holds barred.

"To where?" asked Kate leaning forward in her seat.

"I'm not getting into it with you Mom."

"Oh no," she said illustrating her point with her hands. "You've just woken up from a coma, don't risk a relapse by getting involved with that slut."

"Just stop it. You've always been so hard on Chloe for no reason." Philip guessed he should be glad at least some things were still the same. His mom still hated Chloe as much as ever.

"I have plenty of reasons, some you don't even know about," she said with a flash of anger. Philip could tell something bad must have happened to set his mother off like this.

"Like what? Something that happened in the past three years?"

"Now's not the time for that conversation. And you young man, need to focus on getting well and not some blue eyed bimbo. Thank goodness she can't get to you from where she is."

"What do you mean by that? Where is she?" asked Philip sitting up straighter in the bed, but careful not to disturb Melanie still sleeping by his foot.

"She's pretty much out of touch, hopefully indefinitely."

"I thought she was touring." Philip noticed his mom's leg bouncing again.

"A very long tour, an extended engagement," she snorted twirling her long pearls around her fingers.

"I appreciate your concern mom, but let me make one thing clear. Nothing you can do or say will keep me away from Chloe. I want her in my life. Through all of our ups and downs she's always been a good friend to me. We've gotten past that stuff in high school and I know now that she would never do anything to intentionally hurt me."

Not that he particularly cared about his parents' opinion of Chloe. He liked her and that was all that mattered. But he had seen Lucas endure enough of their mother's meddling to know he didn't want any part of that in his life. He had to find a way to keep his mother out of his love life. Not to assume that he was going to have a love life with Chloe. He had no idea where things actually stood between them. And he was trying to keep his expectations low. Chloe didn't want him before why would things be any different now? In the off chance that these feelings he had about them lately were actually symbolic of something, of some promise to come, Philip wanted to insure they had the smoothest ride they could get. Meddling mothers, jealous exes, and secret feelings wrecked far too many romances in his world. He wanted to avoid any of that this go round.

"We'll see."

"Mom promise me you'll stay out of it. No matter what I decide."

"I won't say a word I'll let you figure it all out on your own. It's your life." Philip didn't believe that for an instant but he planned to hold her to it nevertheless.

"Thank you."

"Should I get someone to escort Melanie back to her room?" asked Kate pulling on her coat.

"No let her sleep." He smiled. "She looks so peaceful."

"That's because she's with you," his mother said as she hugged him.

"I don't get it. Why would sleeping at the foot of my bed give her peace?"

Philip watched his mother lean over the foot of the bed to check on Melanie. She brushed the hair out of her face, it was almost maternal. Yep, his mother had definitely been replaced by a pod person.

"I think that's something you'll have to ask her. I'm going to go now," she said heading toward the door. "Get some rest."

"I'm gonna try. Night mom."

Like he could really sleep with a woman at the end of his bed. Her pink shorts had inched even higher up her legs. Philip was being tortured for something, he must have committed some cosmic crime to deserve this punishment. Here he was stuck with a woman in his bed and he couldn't even do anything with her. Well there were a few things he could do, but he doubted she would be game. His mind flashed back to that kiss, and the way she had teased him with her tongue. His little nurse was definitely game for something, he just wasn't sure what. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

She woke up gently, nuzzling his leg, before she realized where she was. "Oh, I didn't mean to drift off like that. How long have I been sleeping?" she asked looking very embarrassed.

"Not that long, but from the looks of it, you needed to sleep." Philip had been watching her, for the better part of an hour. No nightmares this time, she seemed to be sleeping quite soundly.

"I should go," she said sitting up running a hand over her hair. "I'm sorry I just took over your bed like this. You must be so uncomfortable."

"I'm good actually. You sort of fit in the perfect spot."

"I usually sleep here…"

"I sort of figured you must have done this before."

"Now I feel really embarrassed. You must think I'm such a freak." \  
Well maybe a bit of a freak. It was strange to find out someone was so close for months and not even know it. "I don't think you're a freak. I'm just curious why you seem to care so much about me."

"I guess I got attached over time." She got this faraway look in her eyes like she was lost in a memory. "Though I have to say from the first moment I saw you, I was kinda hooked."

"Love at first sight huh?" He was just teasing but she definitely reacted to the comment, turning pink and smiling sheepishly.

"Something like that," she said quietly.

"So you were here when I was brought in from the accident?" Philip didn't even know what caused the accident, where it happened, who was involved. Nothing. He was totally blank about an accident that derailed his life.

"Yes, right by your side."

"I must've been in pretty bad shape."

She looked like she wanted to cry. Her face falling as she spoke. "You scared the crap out of me. You coded so many times."

Maybe it was because she was new to the profession, since she couldn't have been that long out of college, that could've been why she was so emotional about the night of the accident. She probably wasn't yet used to life and death matters that are part of the job. She'd have to toughen up or she wouldn't last long as a nurse.

"You're really something. I know most nurses don't care this much."

"I have no objectivity when it comes to you. I can admit that. You are my favorite patient. I'm not sure I would've been able to handle it if you something bad had happened to you." She looked him directly in the eyes when she said that, her blue eyes making his stomach flip the longer he held her gaze.

"I probably should be screaming for help and scared as hell, because this is a little freaky."

She started to climb over him, leaving the bed. "Sorry. I can go." Philip grabbed her arm stilling her movements. She stopped, straddling his leg, her hands bracing herself so she wouldn't put her weight on him.

"No don't. I'm not scared. All I want to do is thank you." He let his fingers slide down her arm to her hand, pausing when he hit her wedding rings. "It's probably very obvious to you that I am single, not a woman anywhere wanting to be with me."

"I'm sure you have your fans," she smiled as she stared at his hand on top of hers. It was as if they both were waiting for something to happen, for someone to make a move.

"Not a woman I can call my own then. Knowing you were with me, through all of this, for the whole nine months, makes me feel like at least one woman out there cared about me, other than my mother."

"Chloe cared. She came to visit you quite a bit."

"Did she care as much as you?"

Their eyes met. "She's not your nurse." Melanie answered not looking away.

He licked his lips as he let his eyes drift down her face. "That didn't answer my question."

"How should I know how Chloe felt?" she asked dropping her head and moving off of him to sit on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the floor. "I only can speak for myself."

"So speak for yourself. Tell me the truth. Why do you care so much about me?"

"I really can't do this right now. I'm going to go." She got up abruptly, pulling down her pink shorts that had bunched up while she slept. Philip had to turn away to hide his reaction to that sight.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot." She hadn't moved, even with his head turned away from her, he knew she would be still standing by the bed, watching him. "I just want to know what this thing is I'm feeling between us."

Philip wasn't even sure why this was so important to him. So his nurse had a big heart. He should be thankful and move on. But his mind wouldn't let him. It felt like whatever Melanie said next would change things between them. It was the key to why he was so drawn to her.

"I don't know what you mean," she replied. Philip rolled back over to face her.

"Yes you do," he said grabbing her arm pulling her back down on the bed next to him. She was on her knees in front of him, her hands clutched at her sides, twisting the sheets with her fingers.

"I feel safe when I'm with you," she admitted still unwilling to look him in the eyes.

"Why?" he asked his voice cracking.

"I don't know. I just do. Whenever I couldn't sleep or when things got too stressful, I would come in here with you and curl up next to you and talk."

"You used to talk to me?" He could picture it, her sitting by his bed chatting away.

"For hours, every day."

He smiled. "That could explain why I like listening to your voice."

"Could be."

"Talk to me now." He put his hand on her thigh, letting his middle finger skim the edge of her shorts. "Tell me what's wrong. Why are you so sad all of a sudden?"

"I'm not sad," she said trying to sound convincing, even forcing a smile. But her eyes betrayed her, still wide and haunting blue, her pain was reflected there.

"You can trust me Little Nurse."

"I know." She reached out and stroked his chin absently, as if she wasn't even aware she was doing it.

"Is it about your husband? What did he do?" He was feeling bolder as he let his hand grasp her hip, shaking her slightly to get her attention. He wanted her to answer him, once and for all.

"He broke my heart. He sort of left me, and I'm not sure if he'll ever come back."

Melanie was upset, flustered by her admission, backing away from him, trying to get off the bed. Avoiding his eye line at all costs. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking frantically around the room, like she was searching for an escape. Philip wasn't about to let her flee. Ever since coming out of his coma, the only thing that felt remotely right was her. He didn't understand much else, but he knew he couldn't let her go. Reaching out and grabbing her, the IV in his arm straining against his movements, he gathered her into his body, surrounding her with his arms. And she melted, like he somehow knew she would, holding him closer, grasping the back of his head.

"Why would he leave you?" he whispered into her hair. "Why would he leave that beautiful little boy? It doesn't make any sense."

"Some things are just not meant to be," she said letting him go, breaking free of his arms. She sat upright, pulling her knees up to her chest.

He couldn't help but touch her again, his hand resting on her thigh. He couldn't be this close and not touch her. It was absolute insanity. Philip had never been this drawn to a woman he had practically just met. Sure he had made instant connections before, and those connections usually led him into bed. But this was different. It wasn't about sex, it was about an inexplicable need to make her feel better.

"What can I do? Do you need money? A place to stay?" Philip asked rubbing her head softly.

"You're sweet," she said as she finally looked at him, sad eyes trying to fake composure.

"I want to be there for you, like you've been here for me."

This was starting to feel like one of those cheesy romances on the woman's network on cable, where the man meets some down on her luck lady and starts making all these declarations to help her get her life back on track. Riding to the rescue was not usually something Philip did. He just wasn't the heroic leading man type, but she made him wish he were. He felt like he should be doing something to make her sad blue eyes brighter.

"That really isn't necessary."

"I know I can't make you feel better, I mean I'm not the man you love, and I'm not trying to be a substitute for him. But if you need someone to lean on, even just for a little while, I want you to know you've got me."

Tears spilled as she pressed a kiss against his cheek, soft yet lingering, her hand caressing his face even after she had pulled away. Philip tried to read the look in her eyes. Was it awe, admiration, gratitude, something deeper? All he knew for sure was that it made him want to slay dragons for her, place the world at her feet, anything to see her look at him that way again.

"You don't even know me. Why are you doing this Philip?" she asked watching him intently.

He honestly couldn't answer that. Witchcraft was the first thought that popped into his mind. Not much else made sense. He just didn't get this involved with women he hardly knew.

"Just feels like something I should do. Not to mention you're almost family." That was the best response he could muster.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"My mom told me your dad is my father's godson. So that would make you almost an honorary Kiriakis."

Maybe he could think of her like a godsister. That was almost like family, then he could push all these inappropriate urges out of his head. He would just help her and let that be that. Now if only he could take his hands out of her hair. Philip let his fingers fall through her red waves, telling himself that this time would be the last stroke, only to find his hand tangled up in her hair again.

The door opened and a tall bald looking man appeared. Philip breathed a sigh of relief, as he finally let his hand drop to his lap.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kiriakis? I didn't think you'd still be awake."

"Marcel? What are you doing here?" asked Melanie getting out of the bed and walking toward the man.

"Mr. Victor hired me back. He said you were sick."

Marcel was about 6'5", very lean, dressed in loosely fitting scrubs. Philip wasn't sure of his age. He could have been thirty or fifty. He had an accent, sounded like French but not quite.

"I'm not sick," said Melanie. Philip could hear what sounded like annoyance in her tone.

"Yes she is," Philip interjected. Smiling when Melanie turned and shot him a glare. "She's a patient here like me. I'm Philip by the way."

"I know sir. I'm Marcel. I've been with you here before."

"Marcel is a nurse from the agency. He used to take care of you when I wasn't here," stated Melanie.

"Mrs. Kiriakis was always so particular about your care sir," said Marcel as he walked over to the bed, Melanie right on his heels. "She never wanted you left alone and everything had to be perfect."

"That sounds like my mom."

Marcel frowned. "No not…"

"Marcel as you can see I'm here right now," Melanie interrupted quickly. She was acting pretty rude to the man. Philip was surprised by her attitude. "So maybe you can start your shift in the morning?"

"I can do that," he said and Melanie physically escorted him to the door, her hand on his back. "And I promise no emergencies this time. I won't leave without telling you."

"Thank you Marcel," said Melanie shutting the door behind him.

"Didn't that guy remind you of Lurch from the Adam's Family?" asked Philip laughing lightly.

"What's the Adam's Family?" asked Melanie.

"A classic TV show from the sixties." He had almost forgotten how young Melanie was. Not that he knew her exact age, but clearly she was too young to appreciate black and white TV. Not that he appreciated it much before Chloe.

"Don't watch much old stuff," she said as she leaned against the chair.

Philip tried not to let the fact that she had put so much space between them bother him. In fact, it was a good thing. He wouldn't be tempted to touch her from that distance. Problem solved.

"Chloe and I watched tons of TV Land when we were in high school."

"Sounds like you have a lot of nice memories," she said sadly.

Again Philip was left wondering what was going through her mind to make her get suddenly so emotional. They were just talking about television.

"Good and bad memories, you know how it goes."

"Yes I do."

"I really can't wait to see her." Philip smiled thinking about when he would actually get to see Chloe in the flesh. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

"You definitely do," she said almost under her breath.

"What do you mean by that?" Philip asked tensing up from her tone.

"Just that you have three years to catch up on. Lots of new developments I'm sure."

"Right," said Philip relaxing. "So that Marcel seemed nice."

Melanie nodded taking a seat in the chair. "He lasted the longest of all your nurses. Your dad was firing them weekly at one point."

"He didn't fire you."

She flashed a grin. "He knows better than that."

"Weird that he said Mr. and Mrs. Kiriakis. I got excited for a minute there."

"Thought you might have a wife?" she asked glancing at him quickly before dropping her eyes.

"No, I know I don't have one of those," he chuckled. "She would have come around by now."

"Then what?"

"I thought my parents had gotten back together." That would have been a surprising plot twist for sure, but a lot could happen in three years.

"Really?"

"I know completely not happening, but couldn't help but have the thought. I've always wanted that deep down since I was a kid," Philip admitted.

"What kid doesn't want to see their parents happy and together?"

Philip shrugged. "I'm a little old to still be having that dream now though."

"I don't know about that. There's a part of all of us that never grows up. You'll always be that little blond boy with missing teeth running through the house fixing stuff."

He raised his eyebrows. "That's a pretty accurate description of me as a kid. How'd you know that?"

"I've heard stories. Between your dad and Bo, I've got a good picture of you as a child. It was helpful with Parker, let's me know what to expect."

"I'm glad the stories helped you with your son. Though, I'm not sure how. Kiriakis' are a rare breed, doubt your son will have our traits. But at least my embarrassment is good for something."

"They weren't bad stories. Your dad just loves you and is very proud."

"My dad? Victor Kiriakis? I think you've got him mixed up with someone else," Philip scoffed. "We don't have that type of relationship. Did you notice he's barely been to see me? He's not the type to care, let alone share stories."

"He's been scarce because he doesn't agree with your doctors. He thinks you should be told about all you have forgotten."

"I'm in total agreement with him there. So why is no one talking?" asked Philip.

The reminder that everyone was so tight lipped around him brought his frustrations back to the surface. If his dad didn't agree with the doctors, why in the hell weren't things changing? His father could just fire them all and tell him what he missed.

"He agreed to cooperate and respect my wishes."

"Your wishes?" asked Philip eying her warily. "How do you have any say in this?"

"That didn't come out right. Probably still groggy," said Melanie. Philip could tell she was trying to cover her ass. "I meant that he agreed to respect the doctors' orders."

Philip scowled. "My father doesn't follow orders. This doesn't sound right."

"I'm going to let you in on something," she said leaning forward as if she were afraid she would be overheard. "Tomorrow they are going to start filling you in on stuff."

"Finally. Now I can start putting my life back together," Philip said feeling very relieved.

"I hope you're happy with everything you discover."

"Even if the past three years were horrible, there's at least one good thing." He reached over and took her hand.

"What's that?" she asked her eyes showing just a hint of sparkle even in the low light.

He threaded his fingers through hers. "I made a new friend. Which in and of itself is amazing. I'm not one to let new people in my life. I don't let people get too close."

"Why'd you let me in?" she asked inching to the edge of the chair, letting their entwined hands rest on her knee.

"I keep trying to figure that out myself. Just feels right."

He kept saying that. It feels right, but that was the only explanation he had. It was just something that was in his gut, pure instinct. He was one to trust his instincts, they usually never steered him wrong, so he was going with it, wherever it led him.

"I never really had any friends until I came to Salem. I've made some good ones here."

"Like Brady? You mentioned you knew him well."

There might have been the slightest hint of jealousy in that question. He could admit, to himself at least, that it bothered him when she said she knew Brady. Brady had already messed with one of his girls, he really didn't want to have to share another one with him. Not that Melanie was his girl or even his to share, but it was the principle of it all. Technically, Brady had known Melanie longer than Philip, he had to have, since Philip was comatose for almost the entire time she had been in his life. But things had progressed this past week, and Philip was feeling just a little possessive of his nurse. He didn't like the idea that she was friendly with Brady in the same way she was being friendly with him now.

"Yes, like Brady. He's more like a big brother though." Philip smiled. Big brother was good. That was a perfect way for her to feel about Brady. "I don't know what I would've done without him. He's been so good to me through this. Everyone has."

"Through losing your husband you mean?" he asked wondering if this was what his mother had been hinting at earlier, or was there more to it.

"It was a long road."

"Sorry Little Nurse," Philip said pulling her over to the bed. "First year of marriage should be happy not heartbreaking. I hope things get better for you soon."

"That means a lot. Thank you," she said sitting down next to him, still holding his hand.

"I've been in your shoes. My marriage was not the best either. So if you ever need to talk…"

"It goes both ways you know. I'm here for you too."

Philip made a face. "I'm not really into sharing. Don't like to unload my problems on people."

"Sometimes it helps. No pressure, it's a standing offer."

"Thanks." He felt her pulling away, and he reluctantly let go of her hand.

"I guess I need to head back to my own room," she said turning her back to him to put her feet on the floor.

"Stay," he said placing a hand on her shoulder. "I would like the company."

"Are you sure?" she asked still not turning around. "I don't want to cramp your legs."

"You can stay up here next to me. More comfortable that way."

He let his hand trail down her back, and Philip could have sworn she leaned into his touch. He really needed to stop being so timid with her and find out what was in her head. Worse came to worse, Marcel would just have to be promoted to working with him full-time. But all of this halfway stuff was driving Philip crazy. He was still too weak to try to read between the lines with her.

"I don't think that would be appropriate," she warned, but still turned and got under the covers next to him.

"Don't get all squeamish and PC on me now," he teased unable to contain his smile as he looked at her next to him. "You just admitted you did this all the time while I was comatose."

"That was different, you didn't know I was here."

"Maybe I did," he said tracing a circle on her bare arm with his finger. She was shivering and he had barely touched her. "Having you here feels pretty natural."

She ducked her head trying to hide her smile. It was cute that she was acting so shy. He didn't believe for a second that she was really this embarrassed though. He got the sense that she could be very direct when she wanted to be.

"About the kiss earlier," she started, as she reclined fully in the bed.

He propped up his elbow, resting his head on his hand, leaning over her. "Oh you remember that?"

"How could I forget? I wanted that for so long." She turned bright red when the words left her mouth. Apparently she had said more than she wanted to. "I shouldn't have said that. Things are going to be all weird now."

"Things aren't weird, they've just changed."

"How have they changed?"

"We've gotten closer wouldn't you say? We've become more."

"How much more?" she asked, her breath quickening. Philip watched her chest rise and fall beneath her happy face t-shirt. He put his hand on her stomach, just to see what she would do. She stopped moving the moment he touched her, holding her breath it seemed.

"I guess we'll see where this night takes us," he said leaning in a little closer to her. "Are you tired?"

"I don't think I could sleep if I tried," she responded a little breathless.

"Me either. Any suggestions on what we do about that?" She placed her hand on top of his that was still resting on her belly. Philip wasn't sure if that was his cue to remove it or take things further. He tried to read her eyes.

"Not a one," she replied as she started to play with his fingers. He guessed that was his answer. She didn't want him to move his hand.

"I can't think of anything either," he said his eyes fixating on her mouth.

"It's going to be a boring night," she said letting her hand wander up his arm. He was so glad he had managed to roll up the sleeves on his pajamas. Her hand on his skin felt amazing.

"Mind numbingly dull," he agreed inching his head closer to hers.

"There's always the Speak & Spell."

"Haven't you noticed?" he smirked. "I can talk now."

"Oh right. Must have slipped my mind," she said, her focus moving from his eyes to his mouth. There was no mistaking the look on her face now.

"Meds making you hazy?" he asked sliding his hand from her stomach to her side, dragging her closer to his body.

"No you are. Can't seem to focus when you're this close."

"You too? I've been having the same issue."

"Maybe I should get in the chair. Might help," she said gesturing toward the chair with her head.

"Mental clarity is overrated. That's why drugs are so popular."

"I tend to just say no. I'd like to keep my good girl image intact." He felt her hand run through his hair, with a gentle pressure that nudged him closer to her face.

"What can I do to make you just say yes?" he asked with a smile. He licked his lips, deciding what his next move would be.

"Wait what was the question?" she asked her voice barely above a whisper.

He was a breath away now, hovering above her. Her eyes slid closed as she arched her back slightly to put herself even closer to him. Her tongue peeped out, moistening her full lips, and that was all it took for Philip to make that choice. He slid his free hand through her hair as he let his lips sweep against hers, tugging on her bottom lip lightly with his teeth. She moaned opening her mouth to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She pulled him closer, molding her body into his, kissing him harder, sliding her tongue into his mouth.

Less than two weeks out of a coma and Philip was dangerously close to falling into old patterns and thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy. He thought he would have gained some new insights from his latest near death experience, but clearly some things would never change for him. That thought was actually comforting in his currently very screwed up life. If he had forgotten all else, at least he still knew that sometimes you just had to shut up and kiss the girl. 


End file.
